Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Apr 16, 2015 7:23:57 GMT -6
Solar Session with the IHSCA Astronomy Club Crew
14 April 2015
With proper background and classroom training on solar phenomenon and function of telescopes, we were ready for actual field solar observations with the astro crew and we had a well attended session.
After a brief classroom review on safety and our target, we set-up gear in our driveway with solar good angles and plenty of space for scope and discussion circles...
I go through the handset set-up, (time, date, etc...), so that the mount will track the Sun's disk throughout our session. Demonstrating the functions of telescopic mounts and the type of scopes we are going to utilize for this session, we pass around the Baader Solar filter that will fit the objective of the C102mm Refractor for safe direct viewing of the Sun.
Every body gets a turn to hold and look through the filter before it's installed on the scope. We review the properties of the telescope tube, lenses and eyepieces...
Eyepieces and what those "mm" numbers mean on the side. Larger numbers = lower powers - Smaller numbers = higher powers. The members understand, but initially sounded backwards...
We run through the protocol of solar observing once again, keeping the immediate area clear, using the shadow of the sun, (in manual mode) to center the solar disk in the field of view of the eyepiece - although the Sun is the brightest object in the sky, it is not easy to locate it in the limited view/heavily filtered scope.
Only when the crew is familiar with safe practices, then we securely attach filter to scope...
As I center the solar disk, we discuss what they are about to view. A nice large sunspot grouping was rotating Earthside, displaying nice Penumbra details.
The crew anxiously lines up for their first views of the surface of the Sun...
The entire crew took their turn at the eyepiece, some taking more time to study the Sun's personality than others in white light filtered views.
I dismount the C102mm Refractor and bring out the Hydrogen Alpha scope, (On extended loan from the Adler Planetarium)...
Locking in the H-Alpha scope in the saddle, I align it, reset the hand controller and we are set to view solar prominences off the limb of the Sun, highlighted against the blackness of open space. Popping in a Zhumell Zoom 1.25" eyepiece, I target a nice magnetic event along the 11 O'clock position for the crew...
Everyone respectful of the scope and aware of the mount, nobody bumped or tripped over the legs and did not grab the scope during this solar session. We debriefed on what we all experienced and observed - viewing Sunpots larger than the the Earth and prominences half a dozen Earths high.
We said our goodbyes till next week's club meeting, satisfied on a solid first field activity. I started to stow away the gear when more members arrived on scene, coming from an academic function. Sorry to have missed the telescopic activity, we started talking about astronomy, what they saw when travelling and their keen interest in the cosmos. Well, the gear is all here, let's re-set-up...
To better understand the magnification values, we slewed down to a building and focused on a window to demonstrate different powers of eyepieces, (40mm, 32mm, 26mm, 2x barlow)...the last one really bringing in the details...
We chatted for while about personal astro experiences and the other girls who were not part of the club, will attend next week's meeting and join up.
Solid.
Next week's Meeting: Space Mysteries and questions everybody always asks......
14 April 2015
With proper background and classroom training on solar phenomenon and function of telescopes, we were ready for actual field solar observations with the astro crew and we had a well attended session.
After a brief classroom review on safety and our target, we set-up gear in our driveway with solar good angles and plenty of space for scope and discussion circles...
Every body gets a turn to hold and look through the filter before it's installed on the scope. We review the properties of the telescope tube, lenses and eyepieces...
Eyepieces and what those "mm" numbers mean on the side. Larger numbers = lower powers - Smaller numbers = higher powers. The members understand, but initially sounded backwards...
We run through the protocol of solar observing once again, keeping the immediate area clear, using the shadow of the sun, (in manual mode) to center the solar disk in the field of view of the eyepiece - although the Sun is the brightest object in the sky, it is not easy to locate it in the limited view/heavily filtered scope.
Only when the crew is familiar with safe practices, then we securely attach filter to scope...
As I center the solar disk, we discuss what they are about to view. A nice large sunspot grouping was rotating Earthside, displaying nice Penumbra details.
The crew anxiously lines up for their first views of the surface of the Sun...
The entire crew took their turn at the eyepiece, some taking more time to study the Sun's personality than others in white light filtered views.
I dismount the C102mm Refractor and bring out the Hydrogen Alpha scope, (On extended loan from the Adler Planetarium)...
Locking in the H-Alpha scope in the saddle, I align it, reset the hand controller and we are set to view solar prominences off the limb of the Sun, highlighted against the blackness of open space. Popping in a Zhumell Zoom 1.25" eyepiece, I target a nice magnetic event along the 11 O'clock position for the crew...
Everyone respectful of the scope and aware of the mount, nobody bumped or tripped over the legs and did not grab the scope during this solar session. We debriefed on what we all experienced and observed - viewing Sunpots larger than the the Earth and prominences half a dozen Earths high.
We said our goodbyes till next week's club meeting, satisfied on a solid first field activity. I started to stow away the gear when more members arrived on scene, coming from an academic function. Sorry to have missed the telescopic activity, we started talking about astronomy, what they saw when travelling and their keen interest in the cosmos. Well, the gear is all here, let's re-set-up...
To better understand the magnification values, we slewed down to a building and focused on a window to demonstrate different powers of eyepieces, (40mm, 32mm, 26mm, 2x barlow)...the last one really bringing in the details...
We chatted for while about personal astro experiences and the other girls who were not part of the club, will attend next week's meeting and join up.
Solid.
Next week's Meeting: Space Mysteries and questions everybody always asks......
