Solar Observations on a Budget
Solar Observations on a Budget |
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Bertus Rhebergen, a longtime member of the Hamilton Centre of the RASC and a member of HAA, is an extremely keen and acute observer. Over the years, Bert has taken an active interest in solar observation and has compiled over 800 solar drawings. Does this mean that he has his days free of work as well as a vast supply of exotic equipment? Not at all!
Bert has chosen to observe the sun with a telescope that is less than 3 inches in diameter. With an instrument so portable, he is able to set it up at a moment's notice, using coffee breaks and lunch hours to great advantage. By being flexible, he is able to log an enormous amount of observation time, and still earn a living! Because he is observing the sun, the light gathering capacity of a large telescope is of no particular value, and the reduced resolution of a small telescope is more than compensated for by the experience of drawing over 800 observations.
The following 4 drawings were made during a period of low solar activity, but clearly show change and growth in sunspots.
March 1, 1995March 2, 1995March 3, 1995March 4, 1995
Last updated September 3, 2001