Solar observing

Hi everyone,

I recently bought some Baader solar film. I have made a cell that fits my 80 m.m. refractor (900 m.m. f.l., f/11). Being fairly new at astronomy, and having never observed Ol' Sol, I am curious as to what I can expect to see.

I know, much depends on the conditions, eye pieces, etc. I'm just wondering if I could reasonably expect to see sunspots and/or flares? What other low cost items would benefit my observations?

Thanks for your time,
Randy

Hi Randy,
Your 80mm scope with solar filter will show you plenty of solar fun. Sun spots will be easy pickin's, and on days of good seeing you should be able to bump up the magnifications to see plenty of details.
See photosphere:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C002091/data/sun3eg.htm
If you don't have a plethora of eye pieces, a good zoom eyepiece is good way to be able to match the current seeing conditions. Many folks say observing earlier in the day presents better seeing conditions. Me, I just do it when I can.
I'm actually getting a solar projection set up started at my school for the June Venus transit of the sun.
See:
http://www.sunguntelescope.com/MAIN.html
See:
http://www.curtrenz.com/venustransit
Just get out there and do it. You can see what the day might hold for you by clicking on the solar disk in the upper left column of http://spaceweather.com/
Hope this helps and enjoy!

Let me recommend using/borrowing/buying a PST and hooking it up to a Meade Electronic EP. Though the view is black & white because of the camera, you will become addicted. I use an older portable TV/VCR combo (people give these away now) and record the views. I view these VHS tapes inside my darkened classroom through the LCD projector. My students and I always find lots of faint features we missed outside in the glare. We can see prominences, filaments (prominences between the sun and observer), sunspots, plages (white stormy areas), granulation (eggshell-like texture), and limb darkening.

See my old review of the PST on the Astromart reviews section.

Randy,

You will be able to see sunspots, and if you are lucky, and the focus and seeing cooperate, you will catch the patterns of the surface of the sun.

You can track these disturbances through the month, and see new ones start, and grow, and fade. You can see how they kinda come in pairs. It can be fascinating.

You will not see flares, or prominences. These are beautiful, but are drowned out in the general "white light" that comes from the sun. If you had a hydrogen alpha filter specially made for solar viewing, you would be able to see the proms. But they are unavailable to white light filters like the Baader.

Alex