The Sun - solar activity

Tried posting a mesage here earlier but for some reason, it didn't show up.
Anyway, just took a couple of pics of the sun. Gave them a quick process in PSP and uploaded them in the files section.
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...un%20Full%20Disc.jpg
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...Sun%20Close%20up.jpg

May be of interest to those who haven't seen sunspots before

Michael

Nice pictures. I tried taking some `artistic` shots myself today, the thin cloud was visible through baader film, so I tried getting shots of trees siloueagainst the sun, I'll post the results when they are developed (if they are any good!). Yet again I forgot that the earth rotates, and by the time I had some shots set up the sun had moved. I really should remember that in future!

Also, there is the chance of more auroral activity tonight:
From: Brian O'Halloran
The latest forecasts from SEC and STD predict that the CMEs from yesterdays X-flares may arrive sometime in the next 12 hours. It may be that they may arrive very close together, and thus increase the level of activity to severe geomagnetic storm levels, though this is still very uncertain. Any further news, I'll post it here and on the Yahoo group.

I cant see any activity at the moment, but then again it would need to be very spectacular for me to see it from south Dublin.

Cheers,
~Al

Joined that yahoo aurora group over the weekend. Very good. Up-to-the-minute info. Very handy. Thanks for that Albert.
Michael

Another alert courtesy of Brian O'Halloran

www.spacew.com/cme/index.html

"This event has the potential to produce the strongest geomagnetic storm since 1989. Auroral activity could become visible into the deep low latitude regions. This one is worth driving a good long distance over to find clear skies. It has better potential to produce low-latitude aurora than almost any other event observed in the past decade."

And we have cloud...

Note: POTENTIAL! Though no doubt Someone will be on the media predicting power blackouts, mobile network failure etc. like last week!

Cheers,
~Al

Hi All,
Amazing activity on the Sun these days, I haven't seen anything like it in a number if years. I managed to get a number of close up pics of these sun spots using a Toucam pro and a Meade ETX 90, there is some great detail to be seen here, and it is changing daily!!!
I noticed a ring type formation on Monday afternoon that was not there on Sunday (or at least i couldnt see it). Anyway, when the pics are processed, I place links here for them (prob to SAC site)..

The sunspots that generated alot of excitement a few weeks ago are now back in view. I pulled out my 4.5" reflector from the garage, stuck on my astrosolar film and had a look this afternoon. I read somewhere recently that a yellow or orange filter can help improve the image as the film tends to create a pale-blue image by itself. As I've only a yellow filter, I put it on and was surprised at how much better the sun appeared. Gives it a much more realistic colour.
Anyway, below are a couple of pics showinng tha activity taken place at the moment. Who knows, mabey another aurora??


In this image, cloud can just be seen crossing the solar disc at the 7-o'clock position.






Hope these are of interest, especially to those who haven't access to a scope and solar filter.

Michael