Sunday 17.03.19 Solar

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Large plates of cloud with lots of blue in between. Gales from the SW. The thermometer is in the sunshine and is reading high for dome temperatures. Will be in the shade by 11.15. It will have to be moved into the shade. Hatch down to allow me to use the adjustable height, ironing stool.

10.00 nothing in WL. Large branched filament in the east at 10.00.
My 4.00 looking through the binoviewers without a diagonal. No obvious proms. Just a few, small tufts.

The WO 2x nosepiece is a revelation with the 44mms.. Nicely spread surface features and further weakening of the etalon's ring shaped 'sweet spot.' More difficult with 32mm and 26mm due to their different focus and cloud cover.

10.30  44F, getting windier and much more cloudy. Sudden overcast and raining hard at 10.37! Now hail! Fierce and noisy gusts with the dome skirt flapping! The entrance door has blown open again.

10.50 44F, sun back out. Tried 32, 26 and 20mm with WO nosepiece. Th e sweet spot is still there. Making the filament darker and more obvious or invisible when I move the field of view around the disk. Fierce gusts feel unsafe but the dome doesn't move. Just the skirt.

11.00 A 'forest' of small proms appeared at my 1.00. 7.00 east true. Wispy prom on opposite limb.

11.15 Fierce gusts and rain again. I have turned the closed shutters into the wind. It carried on with clearances and squally showers until I have up at 12.15.

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