Observing the Sun for Science: The White Light

Programby Kim Hay Acting Solar Coordinator

Roundup 2007, Calgary June 29, 2007 ALPO Solar Section

Solar History

• 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.

• CR2056

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10

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1 3 5 7 9

11 13 15 17 19 21

Day of the Rotation (April 28-May 24- 2007)

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unsp

ot N

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olf)

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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

Solar History• 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 Section Beginnings

• 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)

What We Do Now!

Image by Gema ArujoImage by John Nassr

Image by Pete Lawrence

Image by Gordon Garcia

Sketch by Monty Leventhal

Current Programs

• 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

Upcoming Programs

• Light BridgesLight 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 FlaresWhite 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. Image by Randy Tatum 7-16-2004 1427 UT

Publications

• New Publication

• Guidelines for the Observation and Reporting of Solar Phenomena

• Written by ALPO Solar Observers

• Previous Publication still available by Rik Hill

Communication

• Website• http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/solar.html

• Email Solar Group• www.yahoo.com/ALPOSS

Credits for Images

• 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 and Information

• 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/

Where you can find us! • Ms. Kim Hay

Acting 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

http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/solar.html Information and Links to this talk www.starlightcascade.ca/solar/alpo