Sunspot 930



  On December 13, 2006, I was walking in the game land behind Cooper's Pond. The sky was overcast in an interesting manner, with the sun peeking through as a not especially bright disk.

Standard and important advice is that a person should (1) not look directly at the sun and (2) never use a camera or telescope to look at the sun.

But there are exceptions, and certain clouds on certain days allow a fast sun photo without danger. (But I don't recommend anyone else trying such photography.)

When I got home, I first thought there was a large dust spot on my camera lens, because of the dark spot combo (a large one over two smaller ones). However, the spots appeared in each of the photos in different positions of the picture frame but in the same position on the sun. The spots therefore had to be sunspots.

 
Sun, showing sunspot 930
 
  The next photo shows extra cloud dynamics but less of the sun's disk. The sunspot is still visible.
 
Sun, showing sunspot 930
 
  Later that day, I read about sunspot 930 and realized that I had photographed it. Sunspot 930 has been a source of excitement, inasmuch as one article had, "Last week, the same sunspot generated what astronomers described as a rarely imaged solar tsunami."

Big spot! Easily the size of several Earths.

Camera note: I used a Pentax *ist D, with the SMC 1000mm reflex lens.
 



8 Nov. 2003 lunar eclipse || Moon photo

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