You might think there is not much to see on the Sun as experts predict a long, deep solar minimum in 2019. But you can try to prove them wrong by observing the sun at the Canada Day celebration in Maple Ridge‘s Memorial Peace Park from 12 pm to 6 pm on Monday, July 1st, 2019.
RASC Vancouver will have several special hydrogen-alpha (Ha) telescopes setup for the public to safely observe solar features such as flares, prominences, sunspots, and filaments. Hydrogen-alpha (Ha) telescopes use special filters that block almost all the light from the sun except for a narrow band of red light emitted when hydrogen is energized in sun’s chromosphere. Many think that Ha’s greatest highlights are the prominences shot out from the sun’s limb, and large prominences can occur even during a solar minimum.
If the weather and the sun cooperate then you will be able to see some on Canada Day. In the the mean time, take a look at the pictures below, taken by amateur astronomers, to see what solar features can look like in Ha.
https://www.cloudynights.com/user/219375-rickv/
https://www.cloudynights.com/user/256858-malveaux/
