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Ecliptic Sunrise to the South (2024apr08)

Total Solar Eclipse Southern Prominences - 2024Apr08 Total Solar Eclipse Southern Prominences - 2024Apr08 ©2024 Frederick Steiling
Image Links
Full resolution
Target Information
Main Target Designation(s) Total Solar Eclipse: Prominences (Southern)
Exposures
One-shot Color 2 x 1/8000s
Date(s) of acquisition 2024Apr08 @ 19:03 UTC
Location Makanda, IL
Equipment
Imager Olympus Air A01
Telescope/Lens Orion 8" f/3.9 Astrograph
Focal Length 800mm (f/3.9)
Mount Celestron CGEM
Focuser Moonlite 2" CR
Accessories
Coma Corrector Baader MPCC Mk III
Focusing Moonlite V2 Controller
Software
Acquisition Custom Python Script via WiFi
Processing AutoStakkert 3, Registax 6, PixInsight 1.8, Photoshop CC

When totality approached, thin clouds were present overhead, but presumably due to elliptic cooling, they dissipated quickly and left excellent skies as totality closed. The result: An amazing view of the prominences to the south alongside the "rising" sun as the moon scooted away.

The particular prominence at the southern tip in the image was a visually dominating feature of this totality. Due to its size and brightness, it was evident in my location near the center line from start to finish, growing in its magnitude as the eclipsing moon revealed more and more of it as totality passed. Other fantastic prominences and small flares are present alongside the dominating southern filament, and some beads of light along this rising sun show lunar variances along its terminating edge. All in all, this image represents some of the clearest frames I captured through the scope during totality, and easily the best picture of prominences I've ever captured!

Along with the northern view, these prominence shots prove the entirety of my scope dataset is simply fantastic, and leaves a lot of hope for what I'll be able to compose in an HDR rendition of the coma. There's so much more to come from this event!

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