Rob Proxima is a M5 dwarf star and as it is about mag 11.5 so not very bright,unless you are a seasoned variable star observer would not notice the flaring.
What type of scope are you using, and eyepieces?
8" dob with 26 and 10mm plossls. I was dim, but after viewing it for a few minutes I could clearly see at least a magnitude or two dimmer stars in the same field
about the flaring, I was wondering if you would notice it, if it happens really quickly, right before your eyes...
A nostalgic moment.
Back in the late 50's early 60's, there was a series of observing programs novelly called 'the flare star program'. Sydney? amateur astronomers (Belfield Observatory) worked in conjunction with the CSIRO Radio Telescope at Parks with organised teams using the club 10" newt, a member in Guilford with a 6"? Newt and a plate/cut film camera, I can't recall details of other teams and locations, though I think there were some set up north of Sydney. We were supplied with professional photographs of the star fields so that we could find the blighters, and do some magnitude estimates.
The stars studied were Proxima Centauri, AD Leonis and UV Ceti.
The idea was to see if any observed optical flare would coincide with a radio flare.
BTW unless things have changed, the Sun is classified as a flare star!
cheers,
Doug
A good 8" scope under ideal conditions sees down to mag 14.5 depending on the acuity of the observer, so you should have no problem seeing a mag 11.5 star, it is just knowing that you have the right one.
I have seen a 14th mag supernova in my 8" SCT.
Well done all who have observed Proxima, but just think what our sun looks like from that distance.
proxima centauri
A good 8" scope under ideal conditions sees down to mag 14.5 depending on the acuity of the observer, so you should have no problem seeing a mag 11.5 star, it is just knowing that you have the right one.
