Solar observing at Chabot 10/22

by Michael Swartz

Well I had a pleasant surprise on Friday. I finished up work early afternoon and thought why not? Let's go to Chabot.! So off I went. I pretty much showed up un-announced at the back gate by the observation domes, but they were cool and let me in. I set up my Tak Sky90 on my Telepod with my piggyback Parks 60. I like that configuration because it gives me both a nice h-alpha view and a white light view right next to it. Being able to look back and forth is helpful since the sunspots are not as visible in the chromosphere. Seeing where they are in the white light and then looking at that area in the h-alpha helps me to understand the surface activity better.

Anyway, yesterday on one side there was this really large prominence. It looked like a giant solar bug to me. It really did! No, I wasn't on anything.. But this big thing looked like it connected to the edge of the disk in two places and had large swirling loops in between that rose up and widened. That part could have been the belly of this solar beast. but the best part was extending from one side. The shape of this formation looked more solid, it tapered and angled down and the tip looked like the nose. It had a large black spot which looked like a big eye, this thing had two protruding jets that looked like horns. And then to top it off along the underside of this tapered formation was a long black straight line that was positioned just right so that it formed what looked like a smile. Ok I know it sounds pretty weird and some of you are thinking . well, please don't tell me. But after all, isn't astronomy mostly imagination?

Over the next few hours as I was able to observe this thing and show it to people it changed a little. You could definitely tell this was a big event. Several of the public that were there strolling around the observation area at Chabot were so fascinated by it that they came back again and again to look at it. One nice couple even gave me some nice chocolate covered cherry snacks and some roasted almonds.

After the sun set the sky was partly cloudy but still offered some nice lunar observing. We also got a few peeks at objects around the summer triangle but that covered up pretty quickly. Then around 9:00pm or so the cloud cover was pretty pervasive and it was getting colder and more damp so I packed up. But just as I was leaving the sky cleared again. go figure.

Anyway, sometimes the spur-of-the-moment observing decisions can be really great. I hadn't planned on going but I'm glad I went. Chabot is a nice place. There is something kind of magical about sitting with my telescope next to the observatory domes.

Posted on sf-bay-tac Oct 23, 2004 08:53:25 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Jan 16, 2005 08:11:19 PT