Solar Workshop Update: January 2013

Solar Workshop Update: January 2013

January 2013  :  Dave Huestis

We will officially begin the Skyscrapers Sunspot Count Project on January 1, 2013. However, if you like you can begin immediately to practice what you learned during our workshop. Simply follow the procedure outlined below. If you begin immediately you can send me your counts at any time. As of January 1 you must conform to the directions which follow.

Here’s how the project will proceed.

  1. While each member could visit the web site each day (images are taken regularly) to conduct a sunspot count, there is an easier alternative.
    • On a weekly basis visit this web site: http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/data_query.
    • Under Image Type highlight HMI Continuum.
    • Under Resolution select 1024.
    • Under Display check off List.
    • Supply start and end dates in the required format. Click Search.
    This will bring up a list of images by date and time (ex. 20120101 0100). I want each member to select the image taken at 1500 hours for each of the days in the weekly period. (That way I can more easily compare each member’s effectiveness in determining how many groups and how many spots are present.) If there is no image for 1500 hours, select the next available time. Once the image is selected from the list it will display a white light image (with yellow/orange filter) of the Sun. Bring your cursor to the solar image and left click. A more detailed image will appear. You will use this image to conduct a daily sunspot count and record the data on a spreadsheet I will provide. (Be careful about dust specs – hint, they will not rotate with the spots). Please keep your data archived should we need to retrieve it in the future.
  2. On a weekly basis, by noon each Tuesday, each member will email me their spreadsheet. The data will be collected from Tuesday to Monday. So technically, your first email to me will not be until Tuesday, January 8 at noon, and will include January 1 – 7 counts. Note: If you have your last count for the week early (1500 UTC is 10:00 am EST) then please send it along. When emailing me your spreadsheet you must name it “your last name and the Monday “week-ending date”, ie Huestis20130107.

Please submit your weekly counts by the deadline so I can process the data and include everyone’s results in the graphed data that I will send out to every contributor. I will save and graph everyone’s sunspot counts with mine, and will provide each contributor the results of everyone’s counts.

Thank you to everyone this morning for allowing me the opportunity to enlighten you on how to conduct sunspot counts.

Also, a big thank you to those of you who brought telescopes to allow our particiapnts an opportunity to view the Sun firsthand, whether it was in "white light" or h-alpha.

I am attaching several documents to this email. They are self explanatory.  

With the spreadsheet, all you have to do is key in the number of groups and number of spots and a formula will calculate your relative sunspot number.

When you email me your weekly spreadsheet, hide all previous weeks and only show me the current week's data you are submitting.

I think this will be a fun project for Skyscrapers. Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions. If I notice your counts are :"off" I will respond as soon as possible. I will acknowledge receipt of all sunspot count emails.

Good luck.

If you begin soon you will most likely have much more accurate counts by the time we officially begin on Januray 1, 2013.

I will send everyone on this email distribution anything I find on the web, etc regarding solar activity, including some great sun-earth interaction/aurora websites.

Please reciprocate if you know of some good ones that I can share with the group.  

Thanks again for your participation.

Dave Huestis 

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