Image Links | |
Published image | 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!