SUN
Here's several images of the Sun that I have taken with my video CCD camera. I use the
Video Highway Extreme video capture card to capture the "live" images of the Sun. Before
the images were captured, I use its software to control the brighness and contrast. The
captured images have more "sunspots" than the Sun itself. If you have seen that images, you
must have thought we have already in the middle of solar maximum but these "sunspots" are
actually dusts on the optical window of the CCD chip of the camera. I used the Adobe Photoshop
to clean up these extra features.
 

Here's the Sun's images taken through my MN56 telescope which is a Mak-Newt with 5inch F6 mirror. I uses the
Thousand Oaks glass filter. Even then, I have to limit the light going into the telescope by placing a cardboard with a
1 inch diameter hole!
 

Here's a close up view of the sunspots group in the middle of the Sun. This close up view is possible by adding a 2x barlow
lengthen the focal length of the telescope by twice.
 

This is the clearest of all images that I have taken so far of the Sun. These sunspots group have been travelling across
the surface of the Sun for around a week or more and are now very close to the limb. Another two or three days, they will
be gone. What makes me thrill about this image is that I was able to capture the faculae. Faculae is the white patch around
the sunspots and are readily visible with our eyes through the telescope especially if the sunspots are large and near the limb.
 

For great images of the Sun everyday, go to this site.
http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/images/latest.html

Below is the image I have saved from that site one day after I took the above images for your comparison.

What da ya think? Write to me and let me know, ok?
cklim@pcocd2.intel.com