The Sun - Kelling 23-9-11

[Carole]

Finally got around to processing the last of my Kelling images
This was taken with my modified Canon DSLR single shot.
This is 3 days before the aurora, so I am suspecting the large sunspots on the left might have been responsible.



Taken the same day with my webcam SPC900

[MarkS]

Looking good!

[Carole]

Thanks Mark.  Although webcam seems to be the recommended choice for solar imaging, I do seem to be getting better results with the DSLR albeit a smaller object. 

Carole

[PhilB]

Very nice, Carole, although the in one taken with the Canon the focus seems a little soft. Lots of nice detail in the second webcam image.

[Carole]

the in one taken with the Canon the focus seems a little soft.

Duh, just remembered I can stack my DSLR RAW subs in Registax, I was just thinking I couldn't in DSS as there are no stars to align to.  Will do a stack, I think I took about 5, hopefully that will be a bit sharper.

Carole

[Carole]

Stack of 5 with DSLR.


Close up of the Sunspots on the left:

[MarkS]

The stack comes out very nicely - it was well worth doing.

Mark

[Carole]

Thanks Mark, glad I remembered I could stack, though Registax found it hard work and took ages to go through each procedure.

Carole

[RobertM]

Those are very nice Carole.

[Carole]

Thanks Robert.  

I was keen to process this one because of the aurora.  I looked around on a number of sites to see if any-one had imaged the Sun on the actual day (26th), and although some did, they were not full frame so you couldn't see where the sunspots were located.  

I've now done some surfing and it was indeed this sunspot AR1302 (bigger than Earth and one of the largest on record) that caused the aurora having produced two previous solar flares before turning towards Earth.  
on 24-9-11 the sunspot produced an X1.9 class solar flare (the 2nd flare of several).

Carole