Solar Journal
Support
Solar Journal is made by one person. Mail reaches me directly, and I answer it myself.
Email: solarjournal@viewintospace.com
I usually reply within two or three days. If you are reporting a problem, telling me your device, your iOS version and what you were doing at the time saves us both a round trip.
Getting started
You do not need a telescope to see how the app works. Open the sample journal, which is clearly labelled as sample data, and explore a full observing history without importing anything.
When you are ready to use your own photographs, take a short sequence of white-light solar images through properly filtered equipment, then import them into a session. Five separate photographs per session give the steadiest result. Two or more usable photographs can be saved.
Common questions
Why does my sunspot count differ between photographs?
Because seeing, focus and exposure differ between frames. Fine spots that are clear in one photograph can be lost in the next. That is exactly why the app shows the variation between photographs alongside each measurement, rather than presenting a single number as if it were certain.
Are these official sunspot numbers?
No. Solar Journal describes what is visible in your own processed white-light photographs. It is not a magnetic measurement, it is not the official relative sunspot number, and it does not predict solar storms. The NOAA information in the Discover view is separate, publicly published, and always shown with its date.
Can I correct a wrong date or remove a bad photograph?
Yes. Dates and times can be corrected after the fact, and individual photographs can be removed from a session. Your measurements update accordingly.
What is group tracking?
Sunspots often travel in groups. Group tracking is optional, and lets you follow a group across sessions instead of treating every spot as unrelated.
How do I get my data out?
The app exports CSV, JSON, pictures and analysis-prompt reports whenever you ask it to. Nothing is shared unless you export it yourself.
How do I back up my journal?
Use the explicit archive backup in the app, and keep the resulting file somewhere you trust. Restore brings it back. The backup is deliberate rather than automatic, so you always know where your journal has been copied to.
The Discover view is empty.
Discover needs a connection, because it retrieves dated NOAA space-weather information. Everything else in the app works offline.
Does the app upload my photographs?
No. Analysis happens on your device and your originals are preserved. See the privacy policy for the full detail.
Safety
Never point an unfiltered telescope, camera or eye at the Sun. Use properly filtered solar observing equipment and follow the manufacturer's safety instructions. Solar Journal works with photographs you have already taken, and it cannot make unsafe equipment safe.
Reporting a bug or asking for a feature
Both go to the same address: solarjournal@viewintospace.com. For a bug, include your device model, your iOS version, what you expected and what happened instead. A screenshot usually settles it faster than a paragraph.
Solar Journal is independent and is not endorsed by NOAA or by telescope manufacturers.