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Observing the Sun for Science: The White Light Program by Kim Hay Acting Solar Coordinator. Roundup 2007, Calgary June 29, 2007 ALPO Solar Section. 1848 Randolf Wolf is famous for the Relative Sunspot Number R= # groups + # spots
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Observing the Sun for Science: The White Light Programby Kim Hay Acting Solar Coordinator Roundup 2007, Calgary June 29, 2007 ALPO Solar Section
1848 Randolf Wolf is famous for the Relative Sunspot Number R= # groups + # spots By searching though all available sunspot records he found a correlation between groups and spots. After becoming the director of Zurich Observatory, he initiated a program to measure the daily “R” factor, and to this day Zurich Observatory has remained the world centre for Sunspot Numbers Solar History
The Carrington Rotation that is used in the ALPO Solar Section was created by Richard Christopher Carrington (1853-1861). His important contribution to Solar Observing , was the discovery of the sunspots latitude drift in gravity at the beginning and ending of a solar rotation. A solar rotation estimated to be 27.5 days =/-2 days. Solar History Relative Sunspot Data from CR2056 Observer Kim Hay(www.starlightcascade.ca/solar/) Equipment used : 100 mm SCT, 26 mm eyepiece, direct viewing with 1000 Oaks Solar Filter- Sketching
A solar Cycle is 11 years, we are currently in Cycle 23 with the beginning of Cycle 24 starting in the spring of 2008 +/- 6 months with peak around 2011 Sunspot active regions are assigned numbers by NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) Solar History
Alpo was created in 1947 by Walter Hass with the Solar Section being created in 1982 and spear headed by Rik Hill Started with white light sketches images and video WoLF patrol(White Light Flare Patrol) Solar Section Beginnings
What We Do Now! Sketch by Monty Leventhal Image by Gema Arujo Image by John Nassr Image by Gordon Garcia Image by Pete Lawrence
25 Years Later Largest repository of White Light Images for Carrington Rotations Digital Images, Sketches, H-alpha, CaK Images For use in Professional and Amateur Research projects Current Programs
Light Bridges Light Bridges are bright areas within the sunspots Three classes of Light Bridges 1) Classic (L) 2) Islands (M) 3) Streamers Classify the type of Light Bridge with the use of Hilbrecht’s system of classification (Solar Astronomy Handbook) Upcoming Programs
White Light Flares Not all spots will produce flares, so classifying the spots using the McIntosh classification system can help to focus in on spots/groups with potential. Use a wideband filter (4300 Angstroms or 430 nm) to get a better contrast between the flare and photosphere Video tape was used to capture the event, though today,video capture cards are used. Upcoming Programs Image by Randy Tatum 7-16-2004 1427 UT
New Publication Guidelines for the Observation and Reporting of Solar Phenomena Written by ALPO Solar Observers Previous Publication still available by Rik Hill Publications
Website http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/solar.html Email Solar Group www.yahoo.com/ALPOSS Communication
Gema Araujo - White Light Image (http://astrosurf.com/obsolar) Vincent Chan - H-alpha Animation Image Howard Eskildsen- Light Bridge Image Gordon Garcia (http://www.pbase.com/gordg3/solar_astronomy ) Pete Lawrence – CaK & H-alpha Images (http://www.digitalsky.org.uk ) Monty Leventhal - Sketching & H-alpha Imaging John Nassr- White Light & Light Bridge Image Randy Tatum - White Light Flare Dave Tyler – H-alpha (www.david-tyler.com) Credits for Images
Books Guidelines for the Observation and reporting of Solar Phenomena by ALPO Solar Observers Solar Astronomy Handbook by Beck, Hilbrecht, Reinsch, Völker Sunspots by R.J.Bray and R.E. Loughhead Internet References NOAA http://www.noaa.gov/ Active Region maps http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/ARMaps/armaps.html Solar Terrestrial Report http://www.dxlc.com/solar/ SOHO (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory) http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/ Credits and Information
Ms. Kim HayActing General Coordinator - Archivist & Correspondence kim@starlightcascade.ca Rick GossettModerator ALPO-Solar email list rick2d2@sbcglobal.net Jamey JenkinsActing Asst. Coordinator - Archivist & New Observers jenkinsjl@yahoo.com Brad TimersonAssistant Coordinator (software and ephemerides) btimerson@rochester.rr.com Richard HillAdvisor rhill@lpl.arizona.edu Eclipse Coordinator Dr. Michael D. Reynoldsastrogator90@comcast.net Where you can find us! Information and Links to this talkwww.starlightcascade.ca/solar/alpo http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/solar.html