Sunny Delight

Solar h-alpha, 2009 May 31, 1610UT – 1725UT
Sketch and Details by Erika Rix

2009 May 31, 1610UT – 1725UT
Solar h-alpha, Erika Rix
PCW Memorial Observatory, Zanesville, Ohio USA

DS 60mm Maxscope, LXD75, 21-7mm Zhumell
Sketch created scopeside with black Strathmore Artagain paper, white
Conte’ crayon and pencil, white Prang watercolor pencil, black oil pencil.

Temp: 23°C-24.8°C , Humidity 48%
Seeing: Wilson 3, Transparency: 2/6
Clear with haze, winds N ~8mph
Alt: 59.9, Az: 118.2

Initial impression was a bit of disappointment because the huge
prominence that others are reporting wasn’t apparent to me at the
eyepiece. Later today, that large prominence was reported to have
dissipated by 1600UT, so I believe I had just caught the tail end of
it. It was to the northwest and at 1615UT, all that I could see in that
area with our poor transparency was a faint wisp of a prominence.

There were three areas of plage; one nearly midway across the disk and a
second one to the east, both in the northern hemisphere; and another
small area ~ 150° just inside the southern limb. This southern one
makes me wonder if it could be an ephemeral region. Three fairly
obvious filaments could be seen, the largest nearly reaching the small
prominence at ~190°. The center of the disk was full of the dark
hairlike fractures of fibrils or spicules, making a beautiful scene when
moments of better sky conditions would allow for it.