Sunspot 1054 is visible without a telescope

SpaceWeather.com has posted some images of sunspot 1054, including an image taken with a 300mm lens.

I thought it was too good not to share:

Sunspot 1054 is so big, you can see it without a telescope. All you really need is a bank of thick clouds. Yesterday in Lusby, Maryland, a dark cloud drifted across the sun and "there was the sunspot!" reports Neil Winston. "I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture."

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/acdd865a647a.png[/atsimg]

Larger image here:




And some additional images with more dedicated equipment:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Bird is the word











[edit on 16/3/10 by Chadwickus]

Thanks for this....

Now wondering upstairs to look through my solar filter.....

I saw this earlier. It also says there is a chance for some M-Class solar flares. I am not sure if the sun is just being really active or if it just feels that way because it was dormant for so long.

reply to post by Karlhungis


A bit of both I'd say.

The sun had an extended minimum, it's now well and truly awake and doing what's it's supposed to be doing.

Cool picture!

What are your thoughts on sunspots being in the same spot as earthquakes and other things like wars on Earth? I saw some thread where it showed the sun during 9/11, the war in the Middle East and other earthquakes and how they are in the same position on Earth as they are on the sun.

I hope that makes sense. When I first saw this I thought it was quite interesting. I havent seen anything else about it though while looking online.

Saw this earlier, it really makes me want to speed up getting my new camera and equipment.
Quite awesome pictures though.

Well, it is big!

Wondered up and took a look through my solar film and it was just visible.... added binoculars and its a big dot. If the sun pulls round to the right angle (and no clouds come) I will fire up the scope and possible take some pics...

Thanks as was oblivious to this spot.

oops double post

weird

[edit on 16-3-2010 by QBSneak000]

Now that is a big sun spot! Great find my friend.

I wonder how many more visible to the eye sun spots we'll see this year.

reply to post by Chadwickus


Thanks for the heads up, Chadwickus

Very fascinating - simply amazing to be able to see it without the usual high tech equipment.

And to think of just how big that sunspot really is...

reply to post by Chadwickus


You can see most sun spots without a telescope. Just need a large piece of paper with a small hole in it, and something to project the sun onto. We used to do it in grade school of all places.

reply to post by AlwaysQuestion


Be sure to share them here if you get some shots.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Can't say I can buy into that one MB lol

There seems to be plenty of theories about sunspots and earth, even one that stated that the shape of the sunspot reflects the location of a large earthquake by being the shape of the land mass the earthquake hits.

reply to post by Chadwickus


G'day Chadwickus

Thanks for posting that very interesting picture

I did not know it was possible to see a sunspot in that manner.

I also think it's uncanny how your body is such a perfect match for Wolverine's head.

Cheers mate
Maybe...maybe not

For those without optics or cloudy skys, Check it out here. Sometime next year these two satellites will give us all a live 3-D image of the entire Sun. Right now you can see about 80% From the website.

stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov...

This was About an hour ago. Nasa updates it all the time.

NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the sun. For the first time, scientists will be able to see structures in the sun's atmosphere in three dimensions. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and there by improve space weather forecasting. This web page contains 3-D anaglyph video and images. This 3-D video can be seen with red and cyan + 3-D paper glasses

As you can imagine, There is an i-phone app for this as well:

A new free application for iPhones lets you access up-to-date global views of the Sun from STEREO along with solar activity alerts and other features. With this application, you can interactively view the Sun from any angle, and zoom in on features of interest, based on combined images from both STEREO spacecraft.

Thanks for the thread.

reply to post by Zeptepi

Actually we are getting a 3D view now but we're going to lose that pretty soon.

Next year the two satellites will be located 180º from each other (on either side of the sun) so we will no longer have a stereo view. But the good news is that we will be able to see the entire Sun all at once.

reply to post by Phage


Yes, It is in 3D now. at 87% currently.
And the seperation will be at 180 degrees on Feb 6, 2011.



stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov...

2011:

* Jan 12 Both: HGA calibration
* Feb 6 STEREO spacecraft at 180 degree separation
* Mar 18 Messenger - Mercury orbital insertion
* Apr 11 Ahead: Switch downlink rate to 120 kbps
* Jul DAWN - Vesta arrival
* Jul 13 Both: HGA calibration
* Sep 19 Behind: Switch downlink rate to 96 kbps
* Sep 26 Ahead: Switch downlink rate to 96 kbps

Thanks for pointing out my admittedly ambiguous phraseology Phage.
Just trying to contribute an alternate source for your viewing pleasure.
Nevermind.

[edit on 17-3-2010 by Zeptepi]