***WARNING*** Never look at the sun without proper filter!

2004/1/10 Distorted Sun

2004/1/10 The photo shows a distorted setting sun, two sunspot groups (537 upper left, 536 lower right in cloud), and an airplane. The photo was taken with a Celestron Starhopper 8"/f6 Dob, Baader solar filter, 18 mm Scopetronix eyepiece/adapter, and Nikon coolpix 995 digital camera, 1/125 second, at 16:51 EST. From Green Tree, Pittsburgh.

Sunspots

Sunspots and faculae (subtle bright streaks, upper-right and lower-left) can be viewed with proper solar filters. Sometimes they are so big that no telescope is needed (still need proper filters, though!). See the sun section for more photos.