I meant well but still wound up posting new solar images to Instagram and Threads instead of here. Today’s image was particularly pleasing, however, so I’ve posted it in all three places!
Today was another day featuring a cloudy morning and sunny afternoon. This time, however, we experienced excellent seeing for a while — just long enough to record today’s solar portrait. We’re so pleased with the “inset” image that we’re featuring it first — it’s cropped directly from the whole-disk picture. Obviously sunspots AR3713 and AR3712 are dominant features; they also reportedly possess magnetic fields with the potential for M-Class flares.
Doing this the “old-fashioned” way, this image was a single exposure manually selected as best of a larger group of shots. The chosen image is edited to produce the best available picture from the data gathered. Today’s excellent seeing made for an unusually good photo. We’re pretty pleased.
Whole-disk image of Earth’s Sun as recorded June 14, 2024. Sunspot active regions are labeled.
An example of how I have been posting solar images on Instagram and Threads. This particular image shows giant sunspot complex AR3664 the day its coronal mass ejection from days earlier struck Earth’s magnetosphere setting off widespread and spectacular auroras.
I have been posting solar images on a near-daily basis for some time. I enjoy recording the images and sharing them with the world and Sun is an especially interesting object right now as we near Solar Maximum. Unfortunately, I am not sure the daily postings look all that great on Instagram where, now, our home page looks like a collection of spotted oranges or maybe suspect egg yolks! What to do?
My current thinking is to post only the most interesting images on Instagram and Threads — days when giant sunspots are present, newsworthy, or (eventually, when I get it working) spectacular coronal images — unusually interesting shots. To keep a public repository of the other images — the routine, daily views — a page on this website might be advised. I think I’ll try it.
So a daily posting here, on a solar imaging page, and special stuff also posted on Insta and Threads. Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks for listening. — JG
The first DSLR image of the night turned out to be the most spectacular.
It turned out to be a stronger impact than forecast, and the strongest thus far of this solar activity cycle; the geomagnetic storm of May 10 – 11, 2024 produced auroras (Northern and Southern Lights) visible at night from locations nearly pole to pole.
The Responsible Spot: The morning of the aurora, we photographed Sun, capturing this close-up of AR3664, the source of coronal materials that caused the Northern Lights or Aurora storm. It was a most impressive feature and remained intact and spewing powerful flares as it disappeared over Sun’s western limb!
The forecast of possible aurora prompted me to step outside at about 10 PM (EDT), when twilight had faded, to check the skies. At first I saw what I thought might be clouds but knowing auroras can be feeble, I watched. Sure enough, there was movement in those “clouds”.
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center’s depiction of the expected extent of aurora May 10, 2024.
Glancing overhead I saw what I found hard believe — aurora ray features directly overhead … at 41º latitude, a rare sight, indeed! Rushing back indoors, I pulled together camera, fisheye lens, and tripod and headed back out.
What most people saw with their unaided eyes resembled thin clouds. Watching those “clouds” as they ebbed and flowed, and subtle coloration betrayed their true nature to those who knew what to look for. The auroral streaks pictured here were directly overhead in Medina, Ohio — 41º latitude.
The aurora still presented itself as cloudy streaks with, perhaps, hints of color. Now also armed with my smartphone, I activated its camera and aimed it at the sky. There on the screen, light amplified by the phone’s electronics, glorious, eye-popping colors filled the sky! I’d never before experienced an aurora like it.
First image of the night came from the iPhone 13 camera, revealing the true extent of the ongoing aurora.
Only occasionally, during the time I was out, did the aurora’s color become visible to me; apparently being just below the limits of my, and others’ visual perception. Another local observer noted color was more visible shortly before I stepped outside to check on things — the actual peak of the display must have happened as twilight was ending and before 10 p.m.
During the hour we watched the show in the sky, the event slowly faded, then returned bringing forth another burst of color. The balance of images here are from a Canon EOS 5D Mk. 4 DSLR camera with a Sigma fisheye lens. The DSLR exposures are ISO 400, f/2.8, and 4 to 8 seconds.
I observed and photographed the aurora from shortly after 10:00 until about 11:30 EDT and in that hour or so, the intensity faded and then re-surged before fading away again which was my signal to shut down. I might have stayed out longer but had a commitment for the next day — sleep was needed — so, satisfied I’d seen the phenomenon at its best, I put away the camera gear.
Looking very nearly straight up, these rays appear to be emanating from a position in the east-northeastern sky. The extent of the aurora was impressive, visible well into the Deep South of the United States. The aurora australis was widely visible in the southern hemisphere.
Knowing it would be all over the news, I submitted my most spectacular shot of the night to the local newspaper — a daily that publishes on Saturday but not Sunday. It was too late for the Saturday edition but the editor gave my photo a three-column, Page 1 spot on Monday.
Colors rain down on a quiet residence, perhaps poured out from the Big Dipper seen here in an inverted position. The north star, Polaris, is a tiny dot near the center of this picture. (Note how two stars of the Dipper’s bowl point toward Polaris.) The short horizontal streak to the right of Polaris is a moving airplane’s navigation lights, captured in the several seconds of the camera’s exposure.
Our Sun is still in its peak activity period, by some accounts it won’t hit solar maximum until some time in 2025, so there may be more auroras in our near future but this was one for the history books!
Page 1 of the Medina County Gazette, Monday, May 13, 2024.
Many eclipse watchers were, with unaided eye, able to see the bright pink or red prominence shown here in our heavily-cropped image of the April 8, 2024 eclipsed sun. The prominences appear red because they are composed primarily of hydrogen which, at high temperatures, emits red light. Image rotated to place the prominence at top for aesthetic reasons. Image Credit: James Guilford / Stella-Luna Observatory.
While we very much wanted to view and photograph Sun’s corona during the April 8 total solar eclipse, a blanket of high, thin cloud covered the area blocking faint details. We were, however, able to observe and image the bright inner corona and prominences (“proms”) along the rim of the eclipsed Sun and what a show it was.
Sun is in the active phase of its 11-year cycle and, during totality, prominences were expected and seen in various sizes and at several sites around the rim. The largest was easily spotted with the unaided eye, causing questions from casual observers as it brightly shined at about the six o’clock position of the eclipse ring as viewed from North America. We were delighted with the images of proms that we were able to acquire!
As Moon drifted across Sun during totality it, in turn, covered and exposed different regions of Sun’s limb. To give a fuller impression of prominences seen, we grafted two of our images from totality into one picture; one image was recorded just as totality began, the other as totality was about to end. The resulting picture is not a view one would have had but does correctly illustrate the position and visual size of the proms.
Two images of totality are combined here to illustrate the visual size and placement of promiences exposed during totality of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. The large loop of the prominence near the six o’clock position was easily spotted with the unaided eyes of many, adding to the wonder of their eclipse experience. Image Credit: James Guilford / Stella-Luna Observatory.
Observers in Northeast Ohio were fortunate. Although the morning began with heavy cloud cover, skies cleared and allowed decent viewing of the eclipse in its entirety. Temperature drops were easily felt as bright daylight transitioned to an eerie twilight. As totality began, cheers of awe could be heard from gathered eclipse watchers at a nearby organized event. Automatic street lights illuminated. A robin was heard singing its evening song. Sunset colors lit the horizon about three-quarters of the way around us. In the southwest, beneath the eclipsed Sun, the horizon appeared dark. And then, as bright sunlight returned, first via a brilliant crescent, then by an expanding and warming solar disk, it was over. Those we spoke with were delightedly awestruck having had the experience of a lifetime.
Following are several images of Sun as the eclipse began, during the partial phase, and as it ended. Times are expressed as UTC and were recorded automatically by the camera, set via GPS. Observers in different areas will have seen times that differed from ours and each others due to parallax effects, Moon being much closer to Earth than is Sun.
First Contact: The first noticeable encroachment of Moon over the solar disk is shown here. This image was recorded at 17:58:34 and marks the beginning of the eclipse process. Two areas of sunspots are also noted here. Image Credit: James Guilford / Stella-Luna Observatory.Sunspot AR3628 was about to be covered by the silhouetted Moon as the eclipse progressed from the lower right-hand area of this image toward the upper left. This was imaged at 18:40 UTC. Image Credit: James Guilford / Stella-Luna Observatory.Fourth Contact: By this point most casual, and many serious observers, had packed up satisfied with a wonderful eclipse experience. We kept the camera running, just so that this instant could be recorded — the moment when Moon completed its passage in front of Sun, in this picture at 20:28:35 UTC. Image Credit: James Guilford / Stella-Luna Observatory.
The Sun: March 24, 2024, 15:46 UTC, as seen from Medina, Ohio, USA. Canon EOS 6D Mk. 2, Askar 103 APO telescope @ f/6.8, Spectrum Telescope filter, ISO 250, 1/2000 second.
Taking advantage of a rare day with clear skies, I set up the new-ish Askar 103 APO telescope and got a bit more solar imaging in. The huge sunspot group at the center of the image above is designated AR3615 — it and the isolated sunspot above it (AR3614) exploded in tandem on March 23, directing their CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) at Earth. When the CME hit our planet, the result was a severe geomagnetic storm. While not specifically practicing for the upcoming solar eclipse, the experience doesn’t hurt, either! This period of activity makes the sun’s photosphere interesting to observe as features visibly change day-to-day and even more rapidly, if one looks close enough. Sun is nearing the predicted peak of its 11-year cycle of activity which is expected in 2025. That means a couple of more years (at least) of interesting things to see on our nearest star.
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, there will be plenty of buzz about the annular solar eclipse taking place. The eclipse will happen, blue sky or cloudy, dimming the day’s midday light. Here in Medina, Ohio we won’t, however, be seeing the real attraction, the so-called “Ring of Fire”. We will, however, experience a partial eclipse of the sun; about 35 percent of the sun will be obscured by Moon, making Sun a crescent.
Eclipse timings for Medina, Ohio as provided by TimeAndDate.com
What’s an annular eclipse, then? Well, “annular” means ring-shaped, not “annual” as in once a year. The ring, or annulus, we’re talking about here is created by our Moon passing between we Earthbound viewers and Sun covering most, but not all of the solar disk. At its peak, an annular eclipse leaves brilliant ring of sunlight visible, shining around the edges of Moon — the ring of fire. The better-known total solar eclipse occurs when Moon covers all of the solar disk, allowing viewers to see the beautiful haze of Sun’s corona streaming around the dark circle where Moon superimposes Sun.
Solar eclipses take place in three basic varieties: partial, annular, and total and what happens on each occasion is dependent upon the positions of Sun, Moon, and viewer. Why won’t anyone see a total solar eclipse this Saturday? In short, it’s because Moon’s orbit is elliptical, not circular. On an elliptical path Moon will appear larger or smaller from Earth, depending upon Moon’s position on its orbit. We’re fortunate that Moon can so perfectly cover Sun when it’s a bit nearer us, producing glorious total eclipses. But when Moon is a bit farther out for an eclipse and appears smaller, it can’t quite cover all of Sun and that’s when annular eclipses happen.
Moon is near enough to Earth that parallax influences what viewers experience. At the center line of an annular or total eclipse, the full effect of the event may be enjoyed. Stray off that center line (path of annularity, or path of totality) and a partial eclipse is seen. It’s like someone hiding a few steps behind a tree. If the tree is directly in the line of sight of the viewer, the person is hidden. Take a step to one side, however, and the hidden person begins to be revealed. Parallax.
Viewing: Neither those out west nor we here in Ohio can safely view the annular or partial eclipse phases safely without proper gear. ISO-Certified viewers are the gold standard so long as they are undamaged. Eclipse viewing glasses are available from many sources though it’s probably too late to order them in before this weekend’s event. Maybe think about buying some soon for next year’s total eclipse! There is a mix of opinion regarding #14 welder’s glass — they’re probably alright to use if you have them but be careful — welder’s glass comes in different shades and lighter shades may not provide adequate protection!
Do Not Use: Sunglasses of any sort, photographic negatives, Compact Discs, shiny plastic wrapping, etc. for viewing the sun. If you view the brilliant solar disk improperly, damage to your eyes can result and be instantaneous and permanent. If you happen to have solar eclipse glasses from previous events, those would be great to use but examine them first! Hold the glasses close to a bright light source and look for pinholes, scratches, or other damage; if you can see light spots coming through the lenses throw the glasses away!
White light image of Sun. Numerous sunspots can be seen freckling the lightly-textured photosphere. At the east and west limbs of the solar disk may be seen light-colored, jagged tracks called faculae. September 22, 2023. Photo by James Guilford.
September 22, 2023. 17:12 UTC — Shooting Sun today as sunspot AR3435 rotated toward the center point of the disk, viewed from Earth. I also tried my trusty Thousand Oaks Optical Type 2+ glass solar filter on the same setup. I’ve seen some excellent results from the glass filter in the past but there seemed to be a bit of detail lost from the image. Some of the loss may have been from the filter but, perhaps more likely, there may have been a slight shift in focus or instantaneous turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere. I must say, however, while I like the brilliant color of the glass, I love the detail and tonality of the white light film — Astrozap Baader film white light solar filter.
I hope to add a telescope or system to my arsenal, allowing hydrogen-alpha (Ha) viewing and imaging of Sun’s chromosphere and prominences but I have longstanding appreciation for sunspots and hope to also dramatically improve imaging of those features.
These images are single-exposures, not stacked stills or video frames, so I shoot multiple singles aiming for momentary clarity in the atmosphere. I then manually review the frames and select the best single frame(s) for final processing. This day I used a DSLR camera with telephoto lens for the sake of convenience. The same two filters fit my 90mm refractor with a focal length of 1,000mm but using the scope would have meant significant setup; too lazy to do that, I guess.
Technical Information: Tripod-mounted Canon EOS 7D Mk. 2 camera, Canon 400mm f/5.6 L lens with Canon 2X telextender for 800mm and f/11. Mono Image: ISO 500, f/11, 1/1000 sec. Color Image: ISO 500, f/11, 1/800 sec.
The Sun, recorded within minutes of the white light photograph, this time imaged through a glass solar filter which imparted a rich orange color to the picture. September 22, 2023. Photo by James Guilford.
I hauled out the 1970s vintage Celestron C90 telephoto lens this morning, attached my AstroZap Baader film solar filter, and my Canon EOS 7D to quickly image Sun. I’m hoping to be able to use the compact mirror lens for quick shots such as this and for images of the Moon; trials have thus far met with mixed results. It’s a cool old lens but not as good as other gear in my current collection. The setup was mounted on a simple photographic tripod and, astro-folk will note, Sun’s orientation here is cockeyed. Once the observatory is set up and a mounted telescope put into use, we expect to see improved resolution/magnification, and won’t have to struggle with gear too heavy for the tripod! There’s a smattering of sunspots to be seen in this image along with a few other, more subtle features in the solar photosphere. Clouds rolled in soon after this image was made.
Stella-Luna Observatory 