Observation by Kevin Gurney: Solar dynamics - AR3435

Uploaded by

Kevin Gurney

Observer

Kevin Gurney

Observed

2023 Sep 24 - 09:00

Uploaded

2024 Feb 12 - 14:00

Objects

The Sun

Equipment
  • Fornax 102 mount
  • Skywatcher Evostar 80 ED DS-Pro
  • Quark Daystar Quark Chromosphere
  • ZWO ASI 174
  • SharpCap, AutoStakkert!,PixInsight, XnView
Exposure

Top: 10% of 1836 frames, each 8.4ms, Bottom: 10% of 958 frames, each 8.4ms (all bin 2x2)

Location

Charente, France

Target name

Sun - AR 3435

Title

Solar dynamics - AR3435

About this image

These two shots were my best 'takes' on a session trying to perfect my solar rig. They are separated by 20 minutes in time around 9:00am, and the upper panel is the earlier one.

Using resources such as NOAA solar synoptic map, solar science observatory NAOJ, Mitaka Japan, and observation by Dave Smith (BAA), I identified the main sunspot region in both images as AR 3435.
The bottom panel also contains AR 3445 as the brighter region in bottom right.

I stacked using Autostakkert in the usual way, but postprocessed using techniques I have learned wth deep sky processing in Pixinsight (PI). PI has useful tools for removing gradients, and I also used the 'multiscale' filter tool to remove residual (low frequency) Newtons rings by creating a synthetic 'flat'. For sharpening, I initially used PI's older deconvolution tool which is similar to that used in some other solar-post processing.

However, with nothing to lose but my time, I also tried the  newer (AI-based) BlurExterminator tool. This was originally trained on deep sky objects but, by turning  off star sharpening, and winding down the non-stellar effect to around half maximum (and PSF of around 3.5) I obtained better results. I think the sun's suface is not totally dissimilar to some deep sky nebulosity...

The arrows in the image point to a clear evolution of features. At least that's how I interpret it!

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