4.09.2021 Imaging through high cloud.

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Saturday 4th 56F, sunny periods.  I have raised a tall ladder to help me lift the shutters into place. They are far too heavy for me to manage alone. I shall grip the shutter with a ratchet strap and use the chain hoist to do the heavy lifting. 

11.00 60F, sunny with high cloud. The cloud is badly spoiling the sun's clarity. I haven't managed a single image yet.  

11.37 First sign of surface detail.

11.45 Another AR. The PST etalon is badly tuned. Causing a dark band. 

 

 

 

12.17 Slightly better clarity.

 

 

 

 

I kept trying at intervals throughout the day but the cloud was too persistent. The conditions must have favoured high cloud formation because aircraft vapour trails were also persistent. 

At nearly 18.00 there was a sudden clearing. I managed to capture a couple of ARs on the east and west limbs.

The edges of shadows in the observatory were never really sharp. I use these edges to help me guide the rotation of the dome. To maintain the shutter's distance from the sun's light path. Too close and thermal agitation might result. Or even loss of clear aperture in the worst case scenario. Watching the light and shadow on the dome wall. Or across the mounting's Polar Axis, housing becomes second nature.

BTW: ASCOM[AWR] still insists there are no COM Ports. So no planetarium guidance. Not that GOTO was ever more than in the vivid imagination of the vendor. I have tried repairing the driver and updating the ASCOM platform. As expected, it made no difference.

 

 

 

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