I hope you have has a chance to read this post and are making plans to visit Tucson.

I am going to be moving on to other subjects, but will continue to update this area as we get nearer to the event. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, or suggestions.

We are pleased to announce that Lunt Solar Systems will be sponsoring the 2010 ALCon event in Tucson, Arizona. June 24 thru the 26th.. An opportunity for anyone curious about the night sky to come play and learn.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

You will not want to miss this event. Lunt Solar will be hosting it’s 2010 ASC (Arizona Solar Conference) in conjunction with the ALCon event at the Hilton East location. A great venue for both day and night astronomers..

Registration to either event, gets you into both…

A few quick announcements that I want to get out:

Kids are FREE!. That’s right, school kids are invited to attend, look thru the solar scopes, and check out the vendor exhibits. We will have giveaways and educational (okay.. cool posters etc) materials, as well as some really cool door prizes.

We will be having some entertaining exhibits for both kids and adults.

If you are a teacher and would like to bring some kids for a few hours, or the entire day.. You are WELCOME. Please contact us to make arrangements, we will be happy to help.

Some of the exciting activities are still in the planning stages, but please check back often to get updates on the event. Simply search OLCon or ASC at left to grab the posts.

More information can be found on the ALCon site: http://alcon2010.astroleague.org/

Rooms are available at the Hilton East, Tucson at a discount rate of $72 per night. You can reserve your room by simply calling the hotel at +1.520.721.5600. An online reservation link will be available soon.

For more information, or to be added to our e-mail list for this event, please contact Rikki at sales@luntsolarsystems.com

Over the next week we will formalize the registration process and provide much more info about the event and the planned activities.

Tucson is a great vacation destination, and June will be warm and beautiful. Make plans to join us at the ALCon/ASC event and take advantage of the surrounding tourist activities.

Above is a picture taken just today by the SOHO Satellite. Yep, that’s a picture from today, and not 10 years ago.

November last year I started one of my first blogs with the statements that Solar Minimum was over. After several years of zero Solar activity it was beginning to look like the Sun may never wake up. However, my daily testing of Lunt products had indicated that there were growing signs of life. But not even I would have predicted the current level of activity in such a short time?

Our Star has certainly woken up. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but the recent increase in activity is almost surprising. In a period of a couple of months we have gone from the odd Sunspot every few months, to what is now upwards of 6 active regions with multiple Sunspot groups.. Amazing!!!. Several months ago even the smallest active region seen on the Sun today would have been cause for chat on the forums. As you can see from the above image (surface rotates left to right) there is more on the way. And while the Northern area of the Sun has been the most active, we can now see significant signs of life in the Southern areas as well.

It sure is fun to “test” the scopes again.

There have got to be people out there who have watched the last Maximum turn to Minimum, and are now watching the new Miminum turn to Maximum with a little awe. I would like to hear about other people’s experiences and get some feedback on daily observations. There’s probably never been a better time to be in, and promote, the hobby of Solar Observation. There’s also the great and exciting opportunity to study and research the birth of this new cycle.

What effect will the new Solar Maximum have on Planet Earth?

You don’t need a SOHO Satellite to view and study the Sun in detail. Today’s Solar Telescopes and Solar Filters have advanced the technology of backyard observing to a high level of research capability. New generation Lunt Systems are research grade tools within reach of anyone who wants to watch the breathtaking power of our nearest Star. I had a person just yesterday ask “how quickly does the Sun’s surface change?”.. Well in the time it took to read this, the Surface has cetainly changed. These Active Regions are highly dynamic, they hold the potential for unpredictable and explosive behaviour. Small flares are probable, large flares are seldom,,,, they’re not a question of “if” they are now a question of “when”.

What are YOU missing?

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.

Some of you may recognize the Bino platform. It is the unique design from Howie Glatter. It was designed to accept the PST, but as you can see, it readily accepts the LS35Ts. (I need to let Howie know that I have his set ready :)

We had a customer and his wife come by to personally check out the system that he had just purchased. As you can see, the system even has 2 zoom eyepieces which worked remarkably well. I was very pleased with the view after everything was aligned. It really gives a nice 3D feel to the Sun. Doppler shifting slightly allowed the eyes to merge the images, giving an impression of even more detail than thru a single system.

The LS35T/Deluxe Package comes standard with the mounting foot for the Bino Platform. However, if your inter pupilary distance is anything like mine, the tilt mechanisms on the LS35T front etalon assembly will need to be shaved a little.

If you are interested in the LS35T for Bino use, give us a call, or drop us an e-mail. We would be happy to get you a matched set and do the modifications for you. Contact Howie for a Bino Platform and you’re off and running.

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.

Howard E. was kind enough to send a few images taken at the Winter Star Party in Florida. These images were taken over several days in varying conditions.

In addition to the images I have added a portion of his text.

“…..imaging with the Lunt B600 Ca-K diagonal at the Winter Star Party in Florida.  I have been using the diagonal since March 2009 after ordering it during the previous star party.  I have imaged with it around 200 days since, taking both whole-disk and close ups, and it is performing flawlessly.”

“…We have had mixed weather here at the star party with seeing ranging from poor to great, with mixture of clear and clouds.  Today it is gusty and partly cloudy, but I will get more Ca-K images sometime today.  Attached below are photos of the past 4 days at the star party, close ups of Ar 1045, and a composite comparing continuum and Ca-K.  The Ca-K reveals so much more regarding the spots, magnetic activity, and prominences, that I have all but abandoned continuum imaging.  I am thrilled to be able to continue to use the Ca-K diagonal on a daily basis…”

Thank you very much Howard!. It is so very rewarding to get images and feedback like this from our customers.

We invite anyone who has images to send them in with a description of what is used and how..

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.

With the weather finally clearing up in Tucson, I had a chance to go outside and see what all the Solar fuss has been about.

I would have to say that the current activity is somewhat better than expected. With AR11045 putting on quite the show. I had a few LS35s and LS60T/PTs to test. That all went pretty quickly and I could move on to bigger things. We should have LS60Ts in both the Pressure Tune and Standard versions shipping with the Double Stack package later this week.. A lot of them.. (50s have been the usual hold up).

Unfortunately, the only DS capable system I had to use was the LS152T with the LS160F in DS and single mode. I figured if that was all I had, I would just have to suffer ;)..

The LS152T was setup first on single stack Ha mode. It yielded excellent prom and surface detail. Quite the nice balance for a good overall study of the Sun in Ha.

I removed the Hydrogen-alpha module from the back and replaced it with the Ca-K module.. The active regions really stood out and the system was able to take good magnification.

Jerry Farrar came by to take a first hand look thru the system. You should probably get his opinion directly, but I do believe he was very pleased. He has one on backorder. I think he almost fell over when I told him he would be getting his in a few weeks..

The LS160F was added to put it thru it’s paces. There will be more on the LS160F over the next few weeks, we have a few shipping very soon.  (The LS160F will be the largest Etalon in the world). I think it was at this point that I went from testing to observing.  The active areas stood out in awesome 3D like detail. It’s been worth the wait, and I am very very pleased with the end product.

Things are really starting to come together. It’s an absolute joy to be able to view such spectacular views thru the new generation solar systems. Despite all the hard work and the numerous setbacks, I can finally begin shipping what will be the top of the line Lunt Solar Systems.

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.