SunSpot_AR3112_20221005_LUM_IR_UV_CH4_Composite_ReSizedDownTo2xHD_HomCavObservatory

The attached composite shows how the massive active region AR3112 appeared as it began to rotate onto the Earth facing side of the solar disk on October 5, 2022.

Object Details: As noted on the image, it spanned over 80,000 miles ( > 130,000 km) end-to-end and was one of the largest groups in the last several years. At the time it had an extremely complex magnetic configuration with multiple north and south poles in close proximity to each other and was capable of X-class flares. Albeit, and maybe somewhat unexpectedly, it did not produce many large flares. It is however possible that it was actually several separate sunspot groups posing as one giant active region. If this were the case, it could explain the lack of flaring since it would suggestive a less complex magnetic configuration.

Image Details: The images making up this composite were shot through high cirrus clouds during the early afternoon hours of October 5, 2022. Since I also enjoyed observing it with the 8-inch newt. while imaging it that day, a short description of how it appeared using a 16mm eyepiece is included in the accompanying text at the following link. In addition to some low-resolution screen shots of AR3112, that composite contains some quick images I was taking of the early fall foliage adorning the observatory I built at my home here in upstate, NY that afternoon.

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/52409519996/

The upper left full-disk reference image used an Orion ED80T CF (i.e. an 80mm, f/6 carbon-fiber triplet apochromatic refractor) with a Kendrick film 'over-the-aperture' solar filter and a Televue 0.8X field flattener / focal reducer connected to an unmodded Canon 700D (t5i) DSLR controlled by AstroPhotographyTool (APT). It is a stack of 32 exposures shot at 1/4000 sec and ISO 100. Since the field-of-view using an 80mm, f/5 doublet refractor with an ASI290MC only covers approx. 2/3's the solar disk, the full disk reference image at center is a mosaic of two images taken with that setup and a type II Thousand Oaks glass solar filter. The ASI290MC was controlled by SharpCap Pro.

The larger luminance image; as well as the infrared, ultraviolet and methane shots, were taken using a vintage 1970, 8-inch, f/7 Criterion newtonian reflector with a home-made, off-axis Baader (visual grade material) film over-the-aperture solar filter connected to the ASI290MC with a set of specialized planetary filters on the camera's 1.25" nosepiece. All of these scopes were tracked on a Losmandy G-11 running a Gemini 2 control system, and as shown here a NASA image of the Earth has been added for size comparison with the 8-inch images, the entire composite has been resized down to 2x HD resolution and the bit depth lowered to 8 bits per channel

At bottom center is a NASA helioseismic image showing that as of this writing (Oct. 27, 2022) an extremely larger sunspot group is once again about to rotate onto the Earth facing side of the solar disk over the coming days and weeks. Although AR3112 did not produce much geomagnetic activity, I am hoping that this one might at some point during it's upcoming anticipated two week passage. Since there is a higher propensity for auroral activity during fall (and to a lesser degree spring), I've included a few images of auroral displays I have shot here during previous autumns in hope to stimulate some good karma ;) !

And since autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere also brings my all-time favorite holiday; I'll take a moment to wish everyone a very

Happy Halloween !!! ;)

Higher resolution versions of the aurora images shown here, as well as many other shots of the Northern Lights, can be found in the album linked here:

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/albums/7215760573...

While similar solar & planetary composites can be found in the albums at the attached links:

Solar:

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/albums/7215760573...

Jupiter:

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/albums/7215760574...

Saturn:

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/albums/7215760574...

Mars:

www.flickr.com/photos/homcavobservatory/albums/7215760574...

Taken on: October 27, 2022

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