a stellar success.

pursuer · Feb 16, 2006

Our sun:

This was taken today with my Coronando H-alpha PST and Canon 300D. This is the first time I have managed to to get an image with recognizable features with this setup. I think I am still having focus issues because there is more detail visible to the eye then can be seen in this photo but this is a start. I have been trying to get an image like this for about five months.

An unsually large prominence (huge ejection of super heated gas and plasma larger then earth) can be seen on the right hand side as well as a smaller one on the left. The dark squiggly lines towards the top are prominences seen from above. Unfortunatly there were no large sun spots visible today.

Big Mike · Feb 16, 2006

Very cool. Could you explain your technique?

omeletteman · Feb 16, 2006

How the F do you photograph the sun?! Awesome!

Arch · Feb 16, 2006

Yea i dunno how this is done either....but to be able to photograph the sun like this is awsome :thumbup:

woodsac · Feb 16, 2006

Focus...shmokus...this is amazing!

Chiller · Feb 16, 2006

Love it. Holy cow...what an amazing image.

Hoppy · Feb 16, 2006

Incredible, to think that flame on the right is bigger than our planet!!!!
What a shot!!

Fate · Feb 16, 2006

Holy crap thats cool!! Or should i say hot? (someone shut me up lol)

Reefbabe · Feb 16, 2006

Wow...5 months! Don't be so modest... this is a fantastic capture! Congrats!

doenoe · Feb 16, 2006

OMG................thats freakin amazing

bburton · Feb 16, 2006

Who would have thought that a 300D could do that? I have a 300D; maybe I better get busy. Thanks for the inspiration. :thumbup:

pursuer · Feb 16, 2006

Thanks everyone. It really comes down to equipment more then technique. I shot this through a special telescope that filters out all the light from the sun except a VERY narrow slice of the visible spectrum. This slice is centered on what is called the hydrogen alpha emission line. Which is basically the light the hydrogen in our sun radiates. That is what allows us to see the prominences without them being drowned out in the light created by the sun's fussion.

When something moving away from us emits light the waves get stretched out and the light is shifted a little towards the red end of the spectrum. The opposite occurs if an object moving towards us emits light, the waves get compressed and the light is made a little more blue. This is called the doppler effect. The same thing happens with sound waves. That is why the sound of a motorbike or siren changes pitch as it passes you on the side of the road.

Because the surface of the sun is basically boiling with convection currents some parts are moving towards us while other parts are moving away. The bandwidth of the telescope is so narrow that the small doppler shift caused by the convection causes the light to be blocked. This is what makes the surface features visible.

part of the reason it took so long to get this shot is because it was so difficult to connect my camera to the scope and the weather hasn't been cooperating. Also the sun is at solar minimum right now so activity is generally low.

Im glad you guys like it