You can see a huge sunspot 7 times wider than Earth right now — but be careful!

[Admin]

A massive sunspot is crossing the face of the sun, but if you aim to catch it before it disappears on Sunday (July 2), ensure you protect your eyes.

You can see a huge sunspot 7 times wider than Earth right now — but be careful! : Read more

 

[rod]

I did observe AR3354 today.

Observed 1300-1400 EDT/1700-1800 UT. I observed sunspot active region AR3354 today using 90-mm refractor telescope with glass white light solar filter at 25X, TeleVue 40-mm plossl. This sunspot region easy to see covering nearly 3 arcminutes across. Spaceweather.com reported today: “GIANT SUNSPOT ALERT: When this week began, sunspot AR3354 didn't exist. Now it is 10 times wider than Earth and still growing. The sunspot burst into view on June 27th, breaching the surface of the sun, then blossoming into a giant over the next 48 hours: movie. AR3354 is so big, amateur astronomers can see details normally reserved for the world's greatest telescopes." At the Sun's distance ~ 1.017 AU (Stellarium 23.1), earth size diameter 17.3 arcsecond and my telescope view resolved ~ 12 arcsecond on the Sun. Multiple small and dark cores visible in AR3354. I viewed with passing cumulus, altocumulus, and smoke haze from Canada so not the best conditions.

 

[billslugg]

I observed the sunspot group for about 10 minutes around 1315 EDT. Celestron 25x100 binoculars, aluminized solar filters. Light scattered cumulus clouds. It is a huge group of spots. Twenty five power just not enough, needs to be around 100 power.

 

[rod]

I observed the sunspot group for about 10 minutes around 1315 EDT. Celestron 25x100 binoculars, aluminized solar filters. Light scattered cumulus clouds. It is a huge group of spots. Twenty five power just not enough, needs to be around 100 power.

Very good billslugg. Glad you can view safely using those Celestron binoculars. Weather for me in MD was poor viewing with clouds moving by and smoke above