The Sun January 2, 2020
(Click on Picture for larger view)

Added January 2, 2020 ...


The Sun January 2, 2020
Playing and experimenting with my solar filter on the telescope and using 'Flats' calibration frames in Autostakkert!. I did detect a lone sunspot. The sun is very quiet at the moment as it is now at its minimum sunspot activity for the current 11 year cycle (24). The sunspot maximum will be sometime between 2023-2025 in cycle 25 and is expected to be similar to the last cycle.
The expected Solar Cycle 25 will be very similar to Cycle 24: another fairly weak cycle, preceded by a long, deep minimum. The expectation that Cycle 25 will be comparable in size to Cycle 24 means that the steady decline in solar cycle amplitude, seen from cycles 21-24, has come to an end and that there is no indication that we are currently approaching a Maunder-type minimum< in solar activity. The Maunder minimum is a period of much-reduced sunspot activity observed between the years 1645 and 1715.
(From Earth and Sky)

The Techy Stuff
Telescope: Orion ED80T
Camera: Altair Hypercam 183c
Filter: None
Capture Software: SharpCap Pro v3.2.6054 64 bit
Mount: Celestron AVX
Mount Control: Unguided
Subframes: 500 (Video)
Calibration Frames:Flats ... 30
Stacking Softwar: AutoStakkert! 2.4.6 (Best 250 of 500)
Post Procession:PhotoShop CC
Temperature: 65°F (18.3°C)
Location: My Heavenly Garden Backyard, Savannah, GA

---

Return to Pat Prokop's Heavenly Backyard Astronomy Page