Introducing Solar Photographer Howard Eskildsen

Forrest M. Mims III

The Citizen Scientist has some talented amateur astronomy friends, including Bill Dembowki, Bob Townsend, Anthony Ayiomamitis and Paul Curtin. Bill does everything from microphotography to lunar photography. Bob's specialties range from lunar eclipses to comets. Anthony is famous for his unsurpassed imagery of the analemma formed by the sun over a full year. And Paul has for many years faithfully written in his smooth style our monthly column "Eye on the Sky."

We can now can add solar photographer Howard Eskildsen to the list of TCS amateur astronomy contributors. Howard contributed the sunspot image in this month's "Gallery." The image is significant, because it shows only a very a tiny sunspot leftover from the fading Solar Cycle 23. The sun is now at solar minimum, and the predictions of an active Solar Cycle 24, which is a year or so late, become more uncertain as each day goes by without new sunspots. Some scientists believe that delayed solar cycles tend to be weaker but longer lasting that those that arrive soon after the previous cycle.

Figure 1. Howard Eskildsen specializes in solar photography. Howard writes, "This is a photo of me taking AVI images of the sun using my Meade ETX-125. My laptop computer is in the cardboard box to limit stray light and make focusing easier; it's high tech in a plain brown wrapper. The picture was taken in my driveway where I observe on weekends and holidays."

Howard has been making solar images virtually every day the sun is visible for the past five years. He writes, "I have been interested in astronomy since childhood, beginning in the middle 1960's. In the last five years, however, I have concentrated on the Sun and the Moon, but maintain a recreational interest in the rest of the sky. . . . I keep my telescope and observing equipment in the trunk of the car, and when I get a break, run out, set up, shoot, take it down and run back to the office. I process the photos during breaks in work or during the noon hour (when I get one). On weekends I shoot from my driveway at a much more leisurely pace. I have been photographing the sun every day that I can for the past 5 years. Last year I got photos on over 250 days, and have submitted photos of over 900 days to the ALPO Solar Section so far. I also observe the moon regularly with a 6" Meade Refractor. I recently photographed the complete eclipse of the moon."

Howard Eskildsen, Bill Dembowki, Bob Townsend, Anthony Ayiomamitis, Paul Curtin and many other amateur astronomers are role models for the rest of us. Their patient persistence and careful writing and photography demonstrate why amateur astronomers are so highly respected within the community of professional astronomers.

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