June 19, 2016 ALP Worldwide Solstice Festival Free Public Solar Viewing Report

June 19, 2016 ALP Worldwide Solstice Festival Free Public Solar Viewing Report
by James Kevin Ty
Images by James Kevin Ty

Last June 19th, members of the Astronomical League of the Philippines, Inc. (ALP) in coordination with Solar Activity Group celebrated Worldwide Solstice Festival with a free solar viewing event at SM by the Bay at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Members of ALP who attended are ALP President James Kevin Ty with son Kendrick Cole KC Ty; Treasurer Andrew Ian Chan, PRO Edge Lat, directors Ronald Sison, Iah Serna, and John Ray Cabrera. James brought along a Coronado PST-HA on Nexstar mount; Andrew with his Skywatcher 80ED refractor on Vixen GP mount ; Ronald with his Celestron C90 Mak on sturdy tripod.

Event started at around 3:30pm with the sky full of clouds but have about 40% clear sky opening which lasted about 30 minutes before clouds totally clouded out the sky About 100 people got to view through the scopes which shows the prominent AR2553 Sunspot Group moving closer to the western limb and a smaller AR2556 Sunspot Group emerging out of the eastern limb both in white light and Ha wavelength. With clouds not clearing up, they called it a day at around 5:40 pm with a traditional group shot taken after the event. Some members of Manila Street Astronomers were there also to join the activity.

Around 100+ people got to view the Sun through various telescopes brought along by ALP.	ALPers Iah Serna and Andrew Ian Chan posed beside Andrew's Skywatcher 80ED refractor on Vixen GP mount.
Kendrick Cole KC Ty was present to help out his dad ALPer James Kevin Ty in handling the Coronado PST-Ha.	ALPer James Kevin ty beside his Coronado PST-Ha on Celestron Nexstar mount.
Kendrick Cole KC Ty is here handling the control of the Coronado PST-Ha while the viewers waited for their turn at the scope.	ALPers Ronald Sison and Edge Lat posing beside Ronald's Celestron C90 on sturdy tripod.
Wow! I can see 2 sunspot groups!	Awesome view of the Sun!
Hey! I can see a small prominence as well as 2 sunspots!	ALPer Ronald Sison explains to the crowd how a solar telescope works.
ALPer Ronald Sison beside his Celestron C90 on sturdy tripod.	ALPer James Kevin Ty guides a viewer on what to view through the Coronado PST-Ha scope.
Even a fly is eager to get a view of the Sun in Ha wavelength through the Coronado PST-Ha !	ALPers Edge Lat, Iah Serna and Andrew Ian Chan
ALPers James Kevin Ty, Iah Serna and Andrew Ian Chan	ALPers have a simple dinner at Big City after the end of event.