Solar Observation Log – March 7, 2026

White‑Light Sketch Under a Sahara‑Dust Sky

Today’s solar observation turned out to be more interesting—and more challenging—than expected. Early in the afternoon, around 14:35, I set up my TS Optics PhotoLine 80mm refractor equipped with an 8mm Tele Vue Ethos eyepiece to make a white‑light drawing of the solar disk.

But even before starting the sketch, it was clear that the observing conditions were far from ideal. A heavy layer of Sahara dust had spread across the sky, dimming the Sun noticeably. The disk looked darker than usual, almost muted. While this made the observation somewhat easier on the eyes, the fine details on the Sun’s surface were definitely more challenging to resolve.

White-Light Observing & Sketching

Despite the dusty conditions, several sunspot groups were still visible. I made a sketch of the solar disk to capture their positions and relative sizes.

Drawing sunspots is always a delicate process—I tend to make them a bit too large, especially the penumbrae—but I’m reasonably happy with today’s sketch. The major groups were centered along the solar equator, with a scattering of smaller spots in between. Even under the muted light, the contrast was just enough to allow a decent rendering.

Below is the sketch I made during the session:

H‑Alpha: A Bit of a Disappointment

After finishing the white‑light drawing, I switched to my Coronado SolarMax 40 for some H‑alpha viewing. Normally, I love observing prominences and filaments with this setup, but today the Sahara dust had the final word.

The sky was simply too hazy.

No prominences visible. No filaments. Nothing.

The entire limb was washed‑out and low‑contrast—definitely not the dramatic H‑alpha show one hopes for.

Final Thoughts

Even though the conditions were far from perfect, it still felt great to spend some time observing the Sun. Sketching the sunspots under these circumstances was a good challenge, and in the end, the result isn’t too bad at all. Days like this remind me that solar observing is as much about adapting to conditions as it is about capturing detail.

Clear skies—hopefully dust‑free next time!