Parker Solar Probe – Perihelion #20 Special Observing Award
Observation Data
Outreach
Location: Lilburn, GA (33.886538° N, 84.133908° W)
Date and Time: 2024-06-04, 09:00 – 13:00 EDT
Sky conditions: Seeing – okay, Transparency – Some clouds
Instrument: Coronado PST H-Alpha telescope @ f/10 – Aperture: 40mm, Focal Length: 400mm, Celestron EclipSmart 10x42MM Solar Binoculars
Mount: Sky Watcher Solar Quest
Eyepiece: Coronado – Cemax 18mm Solar Eyepiece
Observation
Location: Decatur, GA (33.707471° N, 84.254067° W)
Date and Time: 2024-07-01, 12:45 – 13:00 EDT
Sky conditions: Seeing – average, Transparency – average
Instrument: Coronado PST H-Alpha telescope @ f/10 – Aperture: 40mm, Focal Length: 400mm
Mount: Sky Watcher Solar Quest
Eyepiece: N/A
Reticle Device: N/A
Imaging Equipment: ASI174-mm mini, 2x Barlow lens, ZWO IR Cut filter
Image type and sensor: ZWO ASI 174MM mini – CMOS, Sony IMX249 1/1.2″ sensor
Image capture details: 60s AVI capture, Start capture: 12:49:35 EDT, End capture: 12:50:35 EDT, Exposure: 32ms, Gain: 180, best 20% stacked of 885 frames
Software: ASICap, ASIVideoStack, Photoshop
Project Objectives
10. Parker Solar Probe – Perihelion #20 Special Observing Award. (submission deadline: 8/3/2024)
To celebrate and focus on the successes of the Parker Solar Probe, the Astronomical League and NASA are presenting a NASA Observing Challenge. For more information on the Parker Solar Probe Mission go to the mission website. Click here.
- You do NOT need to be a member of the Astronomical League to participate in this challenge and to receive the certificate and pin.
- You do NOT need to have expensive equipment to do this challenge. It may be done using pin-hole projection.
*** WARNING ***
Before you start any solar observing activity, make absolutely certain that you have safe filters and a safe set-up. Only use filters from reputable sources, and never use a “solar filter” that screws into an eyepiece. As Richard Hill states in Observe and Understand the Sun: “Observing the sun is the only inherently dangerous observing an amateur astronomer can do. Be aware of this at all times and take all necessary precautions. If you do not know a filter or procedure is safe then do not use it! Always err on the side of safety. An eye once damaged is forever damaged. Filters that let too much INFRARED light through can burn an eye if used visually. There is NO PAIN when this happens. Burned retinas can not be repaired. Excessive ULTRAVIOLET light has been shown to cause cataracts. So be very careful.”
For more information on ways to safely observe the sun, click here.
These are the requirements:
- Do an Outreach Activity to spread the word about the Parker Solar Probe and its mission.
- Observe the Sun, between June 26 and July 3.
- Sketch or Image the solar disk.
- Submit the required information to the NASA Observing Challenge Coordinator before 8/3/2024.
Required Information to submit:
- Your astronomical society association, or none.
- Date and Time
- Details of instrument and filters used
- Sketch or Image of the Sun
- Details of the Outreach Event:
- Date and Time
- What was the Outreach Event
- Number of members of the public reached
Do not look at the sun without proper protection. Safe methods for observing the Sun:
- An H-Alpha Solar Telescope
- A neutral density Solar Telescope
- A neutral density Solar Filter
- Build a Sun Funnel
- Use pin-hole projection (no telescope required)
Note: Eclipse Glasses, although safe to use, will not show any detail on the face of the Sun, so may NOT be used for this challenge.
References:
Outreach and Observations
Charlie Elliott Astronomy, a chapter of Atlanta Astronomy Club, was asked to do four solar outreach sessions for approximately 200 5th – 7th grade Girl Scouts at Lilburn Day Camp. We had several telescopes set up, and a live stream of the sun from a SeeStar, along with displays and activities for the participants.
During each session, we spoke to the group about the sun in a tangible way through visual aids and activities. We also explained how the corona, normally invisible to our eyes, becomes visible during total eclipses. To find out more, NASA has sent the Parker Solar Probe out to study the sun up close. By doing so, we can learn more about how the sun works, and how it helps scientists understand things like solar wind and solar storms that can affect our Earth.
After our brief presentation to the groups, we invited them to look out of our telescopes and look at the diagrams and visual aids (including information on Parker Solar Probe), and projects we set up. Some of these things can be seen in the video below.
On July 1st, I was able to observe the sun in H-Alpha. I set up for imaging and was treated to the views seen below. I created four versions of the image in post-processing to show the natural and inverted disk in monochrome and false-color.
