4.10.2020 Changed optics and a struggle to capture the AR.

 *

Sunday 4th  10.30[CET] 59/56F, overcast start, now with large plates of cloud and variable wind from the south east. Seeing rippling strongly on the limb.

 Only a brief chance to adjust the etalon and achieve best focus. Captured only a couple of videos before it clouded over again. Fleeting glimpses of a weak and watery sun. AR2773 has reached the north western limb without producing any spots.

A different presentation of surface detail so far. More even illumination. Too early to confirm anything useful. Not without a much longer period of clear sky to make adjustments. The etalon to camera focus spacing is exactly 200mm. 

13.35 61/60F, gales and plates of cloud. Seeing mushy. Changed to 2x GPC.

Telescopes being pushed around by the wind. The shade net is doubled and hung across the slit below the light path to provide [rather] limited resistance to gusts.

More and more, thick cloud!

Not very happy with the resulting images so far. I'm trying hard not to completely lose the limb as it is rapidly darkened by processing.

14.30 63/60F. Doing a meridian flip. The Goto slews are awful! Worse accuracy than ever and ASCOM keeps being dropped. The slit is now facing more into the wind. Which is now southerly! It is no wonder it is windy in the dome!

More cloud! More wind shaking. Softer seeing. I have my battered, old, winter down jacket on because of the cold wind.

Because of the poor seeing conditions it is difficult to see the old AR2773 on the monitor because it so near the limb. Now the seeing is becoming more transparent but thermal currents are streaming across the image. Which are overlaid by the typical thermal "vibration."

The images coming out of ImPPG are a waste of good electrons! 🙄

15.24 The seeing is slowly improving despite everything.

Les cloud, more blue & more wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*