An Easter solar view.

A fairly good weekend, with lots of rain thrown in (GRUMP) provided some openings for solar views. This is for Sunday 4/12/98. Instrument 8cm refractor f11 on altaz mount with H-alpha device (.9 angstrom unheated). Magnifications of 40 and 80 x used. Climate was 60 degrees and a very cold breeze for the noon hour.

For the disk, 4 major spot groups arrayed from the near edge at 8 o'clock to near center of disk. Near edge group a spray of some 12 small spots, the next group in is a triad with a small projection seen against the disk near it. The next up is a big spot with complex penumbra, bisected by a very intricate bridge that has a lot of striations in it. The last group are a simple pair with lots of separation between them and a common light colored tube adjoining both. Prominences , grass patch at 3, o'clock, a spike at 8 and up between 10 and 11 a very flat topped mushroom (definitely a shiitake) which had little movement. All in all a ho-hum day on the sol. The session ended when rain started falling out of a 7/10ths clear sky. It looked like there were clouds coming in from west and they were dissapating and precipitating - out right over our area. This went on until 3 pm. Might have been a good opportunity for any rainbow gazers out there.