Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Sunspot at Sunset

NASA ^ | January 08, 2014 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Sunsets may be the most watched celestial event, but lately sunsets have even offered something extra. A sunspot so large it was visible to the naked eye is captured in Swiss skies in this sunset scene from January 5, crossing left to right near the center of a solar disk dimmed and distorted by Earth's dense atmosphere. Detailed views reveal a large solar active region composed of sunspots, some larger than planet Earth itself. Cataloged as active region AR 1944, on January 7 it produced a substantial solar flare and a coronal mass ejection (CME) forecast to reach Earth. The CME could trigger geomagnetic storms and aurora on January 9.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Jürg Alean]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[golux]

We’re going to see a lot more of these as big-business and the oil companies fail to take responsibility for solar C02 levels.

[Tainan]

Thanks for the new desktop !

[left that other site]

A little Clearasil will take care of that! ;-)

[glock rocks]

Here’s the NOAA POES Auroral Activity Map site. The northern hemisphere movie (on the left menu) is cool during high solar activity.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html

Back in 1999 (also a year of insane DX radio skip), I watched the aurora for about 20 minutes from the company jet over the Great Salt Lake Desert in western Utah. Only other time I saw it was in Alberta. Ethereal experience ...

[Squeako]

Looks like the sun gave itself melanoma.