Wednesday's Active Sun, 2006/3/1

[Dave Mitsky]

I observed the Sun this afternoon off and on from approximately 18:00 to 19:30 UT with my Coronado PST H-alpha telescope, an 8-24mm Vixen Lanthanum LV zoom eyepiece, and an 8mm Tele Vue Radian. There were prominences sprinkled around the entire disk, the most notable being a lengthy series on the trailing limb and a fine loop on the leading limb.

Dave Mitsky

[Fr. Wayne]

Are these prominences recorded Class A flares?

[David Knisely]

Are these prominences recorded Class A flares?

No, prominences like these are not flares. They are clouds of gas which are confined by magnetic fields in the solar Chromosphere. Some types of prominences are associated with solar flares, but they are not flares themselves. For more information about observing the sun in H-alpha, check out the following:

http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/halpha

Clear skies to you.

[Fr. Wayne]

Outstanding site, David- both graphic and educational. Hope you stick around. There's a Dave here you ought to meet. Thanks for clear answer to other observation too. "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone... "

[Dave Mitsky]

David and I have "known" each other for many years thanks to the Usenet newsgroup sci.astro.amateur.

Dave Mitsky