The Sun from Sunny Barcelona, Spain

March 6, 2019 TVO Staff

protuberancias y superficie solares – 18/11/2017 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. In this impressive image, a massive solar prominence erupts above the limb of the Sun. Furry spicules are visible along the entire edge of the disk. The roiling surface appearance of the Sun is caused by filaments and fibrils (prominence and spicules away from the limb — see blog text for details). All these solar features are usually invisible in ordinary white light. These phenomena are only revealed through narrow-band hydrogen-α light filters. Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with modified Coronado PST Hα and BF10 blocking filter.

If you’re suffering from the cold northern winter like we are at Tele Vue headquarters in upstate New York, you’ll instantly be “warmed” by these “hot” solar images made by Jordi Sesé Puértolas from his balcony in Barcelona, Spain. These photos appear to show a blazing inferno on the “surface” of the Sun. However, science tells us this is not fire we are seeing but hot plasma (ionized gas) and gas in the wavelength of Hydrogen-α light.

regiones activas 2713, 2714 y 2715 – 20/06/2018 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. “Active Regions” on the Sun have strong, local magnetic fields where some interesting solar occurrences appear. The active regions here all have “sunspot” pairs – areas of darker, cooler plasma. Pairs of spots are like the ends of a horseshoe magnet: they have opposite magnetic polarity that forms a magnetic field between them. The bright areas, known as “plages”, have more concentrated magnetic fields. Plages can appear without sunspots. Sunspots and faculae (plages near the limb of the Sun) are also visible in “white light” (the visible spectrum). Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with modified Coronado PST Hα and BF10 blocking filter.

In 2009, when he had difficulty traveling to remote astronomical observing sites, Jordi decided to try solar astronomy. With a south-west facing apartment balcony on the third floor, he was able to observe the Sun on weekends when weather and family permitted. Surrounding buildings do limit his observation times, especially in winter. However, as seen on the pages of this blog, he’s able to do great work even with these constraints.

We’re not the only ones to take note of Jordi’s images, he’s garnered multiple SolarActivity Picture of the Day awards from the SolarActivity group on Facebook. His images also appear on the Spanish solar observing site Parhelio.com and printed in the Spanish Astronomía magazine.

region activa AR2712 – 31.05.2018 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Bright plages. Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with modified Coronado PST Hα and BF10 blocking filter.

Jordi created most of the images on this page with a 100mm f/10 achromat telescope that has been outfitted with parts from a Coronado PST hydrogen-α telescope and additional accessories. He images through a Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ with a ZWO ASI174MM camera.

Actual setup while capturing prom by Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. See text for description.

In the image above, the gold-colored diagonal contains a Coronado 10mm blocking filter that works with a solar filter that is in the tube between it and the silver telescope drawtube. This 10mm blocking filter allows more light throughput compared to the 5mm blocking filter found on the standard PST. Our Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ is attached after this blocking filter / diagonal. The red-colored ZWO monochrome camera on the Powermate™ records the image.

Newton’s Rings is a “bullseye” pattern of light interference. Isaac Newton explained this pattern that forms from light reflection when a spherical lens is in contact with a flat optical surface. (CC0 – public domain)

Between the Powermate™ and camera is a ZWO tilter that angles the camera imaging plane to avoid the “Newton Ring” effect (that would cause a bullseye pattern in the image). The end result of these modification is a setup that safely amplifies the image of the solar chromosphere far beyond what’s possible with the original PST, and at less cost than buying a dedicated hydrogen-α telescope of the same focal length.

region activa AR2706 (luz blanca) – 22/04/2018 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This is a “white light” image of sunspots made using the full spectrum of the Sun. Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with Astro Engineering SolarVue 2″ Herschel wedge.

When solar plasma follows the magnetic field lines produced by sunspots, it raises above the Sun’s surface in giant arches. When these arches are seen above the rim of the Sun against black space they are called “prominences.” When seen twisting over the face of the Sun, these same plasma flows appear as dark ribbons called “filaments.” Visible along the solar limb are jets of hot gas called “spicules” (“fibrils” when seen against the face of the Sun) that together can look like a reddish fur around the Sun.

protuberancias solares 10/08/2018 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Solar prominences and spicules along the solar disk. Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with modified Coronado PST Hα and BF10 blocking filter.

Jordi often constructs composite images of prominences dancing along the solar limb. In this way he can show solar activity around the Sun in a single image.

protuberancias solares 19/09/2018 by flickr user Jordi Sesé. All rights reserved. Used by permission. In this composite image, solar prominences dance along the limb of the Sun. Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate™ into ZWO ASI174MM monochrome camera using 100mm f/10 achromatic scope with modified Coronado PST Hα and BF10 blocking filter.

For solar and planetary imaging, Jordi uses his 2.5x Powermate™ because it yields a better field of view than his Barlows. His collection of Tele Vue eyepieces and accessories include the 5x Powermate™, Paracorr coma corrector, and Tele Vue Nagler eyepieces.

Extend Your Reach with Powermates™

To increase the power of your favorite eyepiece, or for serious planetary / solar viewing and imaging through your scope, consider our Powermate™ amplifiers (mobile site). They increase the focal length of your scope with reduced aberrations, greater magnification potential, and compact size size compared to typical Barlow lenses.

Powermates™ can be stacked with no adverse impact. Tele Vue Powermates™ are available in 2″ barrels (2x & 4x) and 1¼” barrels (2.5x & 5x).

Imaging with Powermates™

Some of the finest Solar System images have been made with Powermates™. Used singly or stacked, Powermates™ help any scope achieve the long focal-length required to image details on Solar System bodies. The increased image scale allows for imaging without an intervening eyepiece — like in prime focus photograph. Most any commonly available DSLR, astro-camera, and even some industrial cameras will work with Powermates™. The visual tops all unscrew to accept a specific Tele Vue Powermate™ T-Ring Adapter for use with standard camera T-rings. Otherwise a cameras just needs a slip-in 1¼” or 2” nosepiece to slide into the visual top.