Monthly archives: September, 2022

September Solar Observations

30/09/2022
Astronomy

Here are my Solar sunspot counts for September. Not as many days as I did in August, but my first month using the same instrument setup and where I feel I have settled on a more consistent method in my observing workflow. A full 30 day solar cycle at 60 Solar Hours a sec rate The following are the drawings made at the eyepiece and are displayed with the Zenith up with the second…

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3D Printed Solar Filter

29/09/2022
Astronomy
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My 3D printed solar filter is complete. Designed in Fusion 360 and printed in PLA on a Flashforge Adventurer 4 I decided to make it in two parts, so the Baader film is clamped between the inner L ring and the outer frame that slides over the dew shield on the scope. Rather than just relying on the clamping effect of the two halves to hold the baader film, I also applied a thin…

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A Rubbish Yield

26/09/2022
Country Life

This photo shows the result of what happens when you have a heat wave and no rain of any consequence for over two months. Unlike farmers in the eastern counties whose fields seem to have turned to a golden /grey coloured dried dust bowl, our fields have fared a lot better. The price was still paid and we basically had little or no grass growth over the drought period. This is what our second…

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Solar Observing Equipment Update

01/09/2022
Astronomy

I’ve had a bit of an upgrade on the Solar scope front. Despite the 150mm aperture the 80mm glass solar filter was stopping the scope to the point, where any magnification above 50X turned the view to a blurry mush. With my current selection eyepieces, I was only able to use some pretty horrible – and very old- Meade 4000 series Plossls in the 26mm to 40mm range. The most obvious way to see…

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