Astro ImageSky Events

Solar Cycle 25: Up and Up!

Solar Cycle 25 Likely Reached the Highest Sunspot Number in over 20 Years

The estimated sunspot number for August 8th likely reached the highest value thus far in Solar Cycle 25 and may be the highest since at least July, 2002.

NOAA – Space Weather Service – update Aug. 9, 2024
Solar Flare Loops by AstroBin user Paul Margolies. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Coronal loops are arch-like structures that follow magnetic field lines — usually rooted in sunspots. Gear used: Lunt LS130MT H-alpha double stack scope + Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier + ZWO ASI174MM camera all riding on iOptron CEM120 mount. Software used was Adobe Photoshop, AstroSharp Ltd SharpCap, Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, and Filip Szczerek ImPPG (Image Post-Processor). 1424 x 882 image taken from home observatory in Meadview, AZ.
“My Tele Vue Powermates are terrific performers,” says Paul.

The Predictive Landscape for Solar Cycle 25
Predictions surrounding the highest sunspot number for Solar Cycle 25 have garnered significant attention from scientists and enthusiasts alike. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel have refined their models, leading to exciting potential outcomes.

Close up of the large sunspot groups on August 6 by flickr user Dominique Dierick. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Active Region 13780 is on the limb of the sun. AR 13777 is the “island chain” to the right of center. The final grouping on the right has two identifiers: the smaller spots on the left side is AR 13779 and the denser spot on the right is the largest member of AR 13774. To the lower-right is a member of AR 13772. Acquired with Astro-Physics Starfire EDFS 130mm refractor with Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier and Player One Neptune-M camera. Taken from Belgium.

Increased solar activity around “solar max” can contribute to more frequent and intense sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, and intensified auroras at lower latitudes, offering stunning visual displays. All “good news” for amateur observers! On the flip-side, this heightened solar activity can impact satellite communications, decrease the in-orbit lifespan of satellites below 1,200-miles due to atmospheric expansion interfere with GPS accuracy, cause power grid fluctuations on the Earth, and impact manned missions and operations within the near-Earth environment including on the space station and planned lunar missions.

Sunspot and Granule, 2024-08-14 by AstroBin user Kyu Seob KIM. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This white light, high-contrast image was an AstroBin Top-Pick Nomination. The darkest area of the sunspot is the umbra and the lighter region around it is the penumbra. The granulation pattern around the spots are caused by convection cells of rising and descending plasma. Equipment used was Askar 185mm APO scope + Baader Planetarium 2inch Herschel Prism MK-II with built-in Baader Neutral Density (ND 3.0) and 7.5nm Solar Continuum (540nm) filters + Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier + Player One Mars-M camera all riding on Rainbow Astro RST-300 mount with SUPER MOUNT CYG-48G tripod. Exposure was 9.50 ms at 105 FPS for a total of 10000 frames at 1574 x 988 resolution. Software used was Adobe Photoshop, Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, and Torsten Edelmann FireCapture. Taken Aug. 14, 2024 from backyard in Cheongju, Korea.

Solar PUNCH!

The corona is a highly charged plasma that is much hotter than the surface of the Sun. How it gets its energy and the impact of the corona on the solar wind will be the subject of study by the NASA Small Explorer PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission. We’re proud to have been specifically chosen by the lead scientist of the PUNCH mission to design, manufacture, and assemble the optical lens assembly (OLA) for the Wide Field Imager (WFI) cameras which will be deployed on three of the four satellites that will launch in 2025. They will image the solar wind as it leaves the corona, thus providing “the first global images of how the solar corona infuses the solar wind with mass and energy” according to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, which is running the mission. Because the solar wind makes the space weather that impacts everything from the power grid on Earth, astronaut safety, radio communications, satellite operations, and the aurora, this knowledge will make our planet better prepared for the adverse impact of space weather on satellite and ground systems.

At first glance, the OLA could be mistaken for the guts of one of our proprietary Tele Vue eyepiece designs. However, there are important differences to satisfy NASA’s qualification criteria for space flight: first, there are no cemented elements in the design. Next, the housing is made from expensive, but stable, titanium with tiny ventilation passages and holes to minimize the pressure difference across the inside and outside of the OLA. Our in-depth analysis of the OLA design had to consider factors beyond what our amateur gear is accustomed to: maximum stresses in the glass and titanium parts from vibration during launch and from cooling during operation in orbit to -60° C.

The mission is expected to have a 90-day commissioning phase followed by 2 years of observations. If you see any reporting on the PUNCH WFI in the future, now you’ll know those are Tele Vue lenses responsible for the image. With our company roots in the space race, this brings Tele Vue’s involvement with space technologies full circle!

PUNCH spacecraft will be in Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit, to allow continuous, 3D images of the solar corona from 1.5° to 45° from the Sun. For this purpose, three of the spacecraft will carry wide field imagers and orbit 120° apart, while one will carry a narrow field imager. Source: SwRI and UCAR.

Visit the Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere website to learn more about the mission.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center sunspot graph (below) shows a rising level of solar activity that may not peak until mid-2025 — this is forecast based on the solar minimum of December 2019 when Solar Cycle 24 ended. Cycle 24 had the weakest solar activity in 100-years and predictions in 2020 were that Cycle 25 would be similar. The actual sunspot count in the graph (jagged line) has now reached levels not seen in a generation. Images posted on social media are full of sunspots, flares, and aurora photos due to numerous coronal mass ejections from this cycle.

Sunspot numbers from recent Solar Cycles (SC). We are currently in SC 25. Adopted from International Space Environment Service Solar Cycle Sunspot Number Progression chart on Space Weather Prediction Center website retrieved on 6 Aug. 2024.

Waiting for “Solar Max”
The term “solar maximum” refers to the peak of solar activity in a given solar cycle, characterized by an increased number of sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This phase of the solar cycle can last for several years. The solar maximum is identified through the sunspot number, which is a quantifiable measure of solar activity recorded daily. The sunspot number is calculated using a formula that considers the number of sunspots observed, their sizes, and their groupings. Spaceweather.com suggests that amateur astronomers can estimate the number of sunspots visible in a small scope by dividing the daily published Sunspot Number by 15. Solar Cycle 24, recorded a maximum of sunspot number of 116 and our current Solar Cycle 25 reached 337 on August 8.

Sol Región Activa 13774 y 13772 by flickr user Fran Cisco. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Sunspots and granules near the limb of the sun. Taken with Sky Watcher Evostar PRO 120 ED APO (120/900, f7.5) + Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier + Baader 2″ Cool-Ceramic Safety Herschel Prism + Baader Neutral Density Filter 1¼” (ND 0.6, T=25%) + Baader Solar Continuum Filter 1¼” (double stacked) (540nm) + ZWO ASI178MM all riding on iOptron AZ Mount Pro. Video of 60 seconds with 0.032ms exposure at 26 fps taken at 3096 x 2080 resolution with Gain: 97 (19%). Total Frames taken 1601 with best 31% stacked. Software used was FireCapture, AutoStakkert, Registax, and Photoshop. Taken 8 August 2024 at 14:28 UT from Bembibre, Spain.

While Cycle 25 is far from over, observations indicating Cycle 26 is starting while Cycle 25 continues! This was done though helioseismology: the study of oscillations (mostly sound waves) near the sun’s surface using solar observing spacecraft.

Sun – 29 July 2024 – 0820UT – 540nm – ARs 3765, 66, 67, 70 by AstroBin user V Bewtra (Leela Astro Imaging). All rights reserved. Used by permission. This grouping of active regions was Solar Picture of the Day on SolarChat! Forum for 29 July 2024. Image taken with Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 (f5, 500mm) scope with Baader Solar Continuum (540nm) 10nm 1.25″ and Tele Vue 2.5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier into Player One Mars-M all carried on Rowan Astronomy AZ100 mount. Software used was Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, Filip Szczerek ImPPG (Image Post-Processor),GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), and Torsten Edelmann FireCapture.

Meet the Tele Vue Line of Powermate Amplifiers

You may have noticed that all the images on this page were created with the help of Tele Vue’s Powermate™ line of focal length amplifiers. This allowed for the close-up views of solar activity.

Powermates come in 1¼” (2.5x & 5x) and 2″ (2x, & 4x).

Powermate™ photo / visual amplifiers increase the focal length of your scope with reduced aberrations, greater magnification potential, and compact size compared to typical Barlow lenses. Also, Powermates™ can be stacked with no adverse impact. Powermates are available in different barrel sizes and powers to meet your mission needs: 1¼” (2.5x & 5x) and 2″ (2x, & 4x) formats. An optional Powermate T-Ring Adapter can replace the eyepiece barrel and provide M42 threads for connecting to your astro camera or DSLR via T-Ring.

Powermate T-Ring Adapters (left-to-right): PTR-2200 for 2x, PTR-4201 for 4x, and PTR-1250 for 2.5x & 5x Powermates.

Imaging with Powermates is easy: the visual tops all unscrew to accept a specific Tele Vue Powermate T-Ring Adapter for use with standard camera T-rings.

Read more on our Powermate page (mobile site).

2 Panels Mosaic: Close-up of Sunspot, AR 3780 by AstroBin user Kyu Seob KIM. All rights reserved. Used by permission. White light image of sunspots and granules at the limb of the solar disk. Equipment used was Askar 185mm APO scope + Baader Planetarium 2inch Herschel Prism MK-II with built-in Baader Neutral Density (ND 3.0) and 7.5nm Solar Continuum (540nm) filters + Tele Vue 5x 1.25″ Powermate focal length amplifier + ZWO ASI174MM camera all riding on Rainbow Astro RST-300 mount with SUPER MOUNT CYG-48G tripod. Exposure was 8 ms at 103 FPS for a total of 10000 frames at 1635 x 1744 resolution. Software used was Adobe Photoshop, Emil Kraaikamp AutoStakkert!, Microsoft Image Composition Editor (ICE), and Torsten Edelmann FireCapture. Taken Aug. 6, 2024 from backyard in Cheongju, Korea.

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