Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Have you heard about the huge sunspots that are facing Earth now? It’s been some years since there’s been some HUGE ones…big enough to fit Jupiter in them HUGE! I got excited and thought I’d dig out my solar filter and photograph the Sun since I haven’t in a long time.
I made this image September 9th in the morning just a little after the sun crested the mountains.
The biggest sunspot is AR2866, and the other big one one above it is AR2868. There are couple of little ones there too.
The big sunspots can produce big flares or CME’s – Coronal Mass Ejections so the space folks will be watching for those. CME’s can weaken the magnetosphere and they can produce blackouts. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.
It’s been some time since we could see so many sunspots on the Sun and that was at the tail end of Cycle 24 back in 2017. I find it so fascinating and thought I’d share my image with you in case you do too.
Have a lovely week-end everyone!
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm @400mm| Orion Solar filter| PS CC 22.5
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Fascinating!
CME, is that a solar storm? A long time ago I heard one of those will be the end of the internet and then I’ll be able to read books again. 😉 Amazing shot!
Yes, corona mass ejection- solar storm. Back in March 1989 there was a CME that a few days later when it hit Earth left Quebec without power for 9 hours!! Our electric grids are not shored up enough to take the big CME’s. I’d love to see that being addressed and fixed.
That’s fascinating information about the sunspots, Deborah. Big enough for Jupiter? Yikes. Hugs on the wing!
Thanks, Teagan! Hugs!!
Very cool shot, Deborah! I didn’t know you could see the spots now, interesting too!
Thank you so much, Donna!
I didn’t know that astronomers number sunspots.
Oh, they do, and keep a daily record and take a photo of the side facing us daily as well.
Beautiful and informative as always. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Judy!
Great capture Deborah, I guess we will be in for some good Northern and Southern lights this year, as well as some geomagnetic events.
Very nice indeed. 🙂
Thank you so much, Janet!
Interesting post, Deborah! Excellent photo too 😊
Wow! Nice capture, sunspots are visible in your photo! I still have to purchase a solar filter one of these days.
Thank you so much, Gordon!! 😀
Thank you, Deborah. Fascinating subject.
Thank you, John! It is fascinating.
😁
Thanks for introducing the sunspots to us, Deborah, in this exquisite photo that really shows them. I have heard of sunspots but know nothing about them, so this was delightfully illustrative and informative. Thank you!
I did know about these, but I didn’t know how big (fit Jupiter, yikes!). Great photo.
Thanks, Dan! It’s kinda mind boggling thinking about how big the sunspots are isn’t it.
Great picture, Deborah. I did know about sunspots, but really never have given it a thought. Like they being so huge! And influencing the envriroment. Life on earth is all about equilibrium. A little to hot or to cold and it would not have been possible. Sunspots are cool (duh) but let’s ask the sun not overdo it. 🙂
LOL! I agree! Isn’t it amazing how this planet is perfectly designed for us! You might have some lovely auroras tomorrow up in your part of the hemisphere tomorrow from a small CME that happened on the 8th.
I’ll look out for it!