New Image: SUNSHINE!!!! Feb. 11, 2024

[AstroBee]

This feels like the first time I've seen the Sun this year! I wanted to do a bit of testing with the one and only rig I plan on traveling with for the Solar Eclipse in April.
StellarVue SV70T w/Baader ASTF Solar film
ZWO 2600MC - ROI 1000x1000
iOptron CEM70EC mount.
Captured with SharpCapPro
Stacked with AutoStakkert 3.0 - Best 50 of 500 frames

[StarHugger]

Nicely done Greg, best of luck in April!

[Xio1996]

Hi Greg,

Brilliant images of the Sun.

Have you had any experience of using the Solar Live Stacking tools in SharpCap? I tried it on the Moon the other night and it looked good. Hence, I wondered if solar observing worked well?

Have fun.

Pete

[messier 111]

fantastic shot , thx .

[AstroBee]

Have you had any experience of using the Solar Live Stacking tools in SharpCap?
Pete

Hi Pete, No, I have not tried the LiveStacking feature in SharpCapPro yet.
I so rarely use SharpCap these days I am not very familiar with all of the new features.
I'm hoping for several more test days before my trip so I will look into it.
I also want to test using the SV70T without the reducer to give me a bit more focal length. With the reducer I am at 336mm fl and without it would be 420mm.
I also want to test the autoguiding in SharpCapPro too!

[Xio1996]

Hi Pete, No, I have not tried the LiveStacking feature in SharpCapPro yet.
I so rarely use SharpCap these days I am not very familiar with all of the new features.
I'm hoping for several more test days before my trip so I will look into it.
I also want to test using the SV70T without the reducer to give me a bit more focal length. With the reducer I am at 336mm fl and without it would be 420mm.
I also want to test the autoguiding in SharpCapPro too!

Thanks Greg.

It will be interesting to see how you get on with SharpCap.

I use a CPC-800 for EAA, but for solar observing I do have a Celestron 4se and a very old Celestron 80mm F5 refractor. I would need to get a solar filter (or make one).

It has been so long since I observed the Sun and your images inspired me to give it a go. This time with a camera for a bit of solar EAA

Many thanks.

Pete

[SparWeb]

Today I discovered a great website called http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/
that does a lot of detailed calculations of FOV and camera resolution. Really helpful to astro-imagers.
Here's the field of view it simulates, when I put in the Stellarvue and ZWO parameters, with and without the 0.8x focal reducer:

[AstroBee]

Today I discovered a great website called http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/
that does a lot of detailed calculations of FOV and camera resolution. Really helpful to astro-imagers.
Here's the field of view it simulates, when I put in the Stellarvue and ZWO parameters, with and without the 0.8x focal reducer:

Capture.JPG

I'm not sure which camera you used in astronomy.tools, but I use the 2600MM & MC so that framing is not accurate for my rig.

[SparWeb]

Indeed I seem to have reset the parameters. It's too much fun to fiddle with...

[Thefatkitty]

Great stack Greg; hope it goes well for you in April

All the best,