Sunspots during Sydney's Dust Storm.

[RB]

Well it's been an amazing and eerie time with the dust storm engulfing our cities and towns.

This morning at around 9am the sun managed to peek through the dust to reveal an amazing sight.
The sun's disk was dimmed enough so that I could safely take a photo of it's surface sunspot activity without using any filters whatsoever.

The sun's image looks like it's taken through a solar filter but as you can see, it's not, it shows trees to the right and the dull dusty sky background.

Click on the thumbnail then press F11 to view the full page and scroll down for the details.

64442 (http://www.iimagespace.com/page/ss/duststorm-sunspots.htm)

Cheers and stay safe
Andrew

:)

[Quark]

Pretty amazing image Andrew,

I would think, almost unique. The dust really did provide a most excellent filter.

Well done.
Regards
Trevor

[kustard]

That's a nice image :D

[erick]

Filters?! We don't need no stinkin' filters! :D

Great shot! I remember when I first got interested back in late 2006. We had heavy bushfire smoke and I saw a large sunspot, naked eye!

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=15570

[pgc hunter]

Awesome shot! You can even see some faculae at the sunspot near the right-hand side limb.

[multiweb]

Sure is pretty awesome! Did you focus with live view or is there enough light to auto-focus? I'm amazed how clear it is and the details you've captured.

[h0ughy]

how lucky are you mate - what a catch.

[Darth Wader]

Awesome image Andrew. Our Sun really is quiet at the moment!

[Matty P]

Very cool Andrew. It is quite amazing what you have managed to capture. The spots are clearly visible.

:thumbsup:

[AstralTraveller]

I don't know which is more amazing; that you took the photo without filters or that there are sunspots to photograph.

[Dennis]

A lovely, atmospheric image Andrew – nicely done!

The dust has just begun to drift into our skies in Brisbane, over the last couple of hours and I’m hiding my L lenses under the bed in a dust proof container!

Yes – I know, they are weather sealed. LOL!

Cheers

Dennis

[stephenb]

Amazing Andrew. That's a rare opportunity. Well done!

[Rick Petrie]

Absolutely stunning RB.
Great initiative and brilliant clear capture. Well done mate.:thumbsup:
I bet you have done this before using a cigar smoke screen.:P
Cheers

[Octane]

Andrew,

What a truly unique capture! There is so much detail to be seen. Well done, mate.

Regards,
Humayun

[sheeny]

Very cool, RB!

Al.

[gbeal]

Amazing, and the Sydney shots. I guess we will get your dust eventually, but not today, it is inclement and that is being polite.
Gary

[cookie8]

Now RB that's a rare rare capture. A real eye-opener!!!!

[desler]

Rare and extrememely good!

I'm on a family holiday on the gold coast at the moment and can't even see where the sun is supposed to be.

A very new experience for me!

It's only been since last Wednesday but I'm missing my scopes already.

Daz

[leinad]

That is coool!!!

Send it to APOD now if you havn't already! :D

[Kevnool]

Great Timing Andrew.
Natural Born Filters are not to bad.
Great pic.
Cheers Kev.

[norm]

Great pic Andrew, so much so I even wiped the screen to make sure it wasn't a dust fleck on the pic :rofl::P

Cheers Norm

[Screwdriverone]

You da man Andrew,

Astounding work as usual, who da thunk it?

Cheers

Chris

[DavidU]

A classic opportunity taken (and very well). That will be a classic sun pic
love it mate!

[RB]

Many thanks everyone.

I wasn't going to bother taking any photos, as I didn't think there was any activity on the sun atm.
I just wanted to catch the look of it, just for fun, but I was surprised at the result.



Thanks Marc, I just had the camera in auto-focus, the 20D doesn't have LiveView, but it nailed it.



LOL I was worried about the dust too Dennis but I thought it would be ok since it was only a few minutes.



:lol:
I thought the same thing Norm when I viewed the photo on my computer.
My first thought was "I need to clean my sensor".

:D

[gmbfilter]

Fabulous result

[Astro78]

Well that's all just amazing :eyepop:

I can't help but looking the picture of the two close sunspots and wonder if they are not in the perfect position to be focused at us somehow.

I mean the matter spweing out has mass, it's effected by gravity. Surely the gradient of the face of the sun, even slightly, has a differing pull of the exiting material?

[Ric]

That's a great image Andrew, very eerie to be able to see it like that.

[RB]

Thanks Geoff, Astro78 and Ric.

Found out the sunspots are 1026 and 1027.
Reports say 1026 has some good activity - with nice fibrils and a curling filament.
Hopefully we'll see some more solar activity starting up.

This dust storm was one I'll never forget, amazing stuff.

[Terry B]

Very clever image.
Well done.:thumbsup:

[Inmykombi]

Well done RB.
That is an image to remember.
The trees and sky really make it stand out from other Solar images.

[Jen]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: nice picture Andrew :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Allan_L]

Brilliant! RB.
Hope your optics don't suffer from the ordeal.
But Brilliant! :thumbsup:

[RB]

Terry, Geoff, Jen, Allan - many thanks for your compliments.

I'm very proud of this shot and was pleasantly surprised when Houghy sent me an email to let me know it
made front page on Spaceweather today ! (http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=24&month=09&year=2009)

Cheers

[leon]

Very clever indeed Andrew and a top image mate.

leon

[cookie8]

Congrats RB. We are all proud of you:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[wavelandscott]

Well done!