Where Have All the Sunspots Gone?

Starlog May 7th, 2017, 11:40 a.m. local time

On this pleasant, bright blue morning, I took my 127mm telescope’s solar filter out of hibernation to get some views of the Sun.  If you have been following news reporting over the last couple years, you know that the Sun’s activity has been very low.  There are hardly any sunspots.  My observations and photos prove out this current state.

I scanned the Sun for a good 10 minutes with my eye and found two sunspots.  Just two!  And barely visible both.  The larger one is near the 10 o’clock position and the second is very tiny around the center’s top.  Here is the same above image with those sunspots circled:

Realizing this compressed image makes it difficult to see the middle sunspot, here is a closeup you can click on for a better look at the areas in question:

If you can see any more sunspots, then I applaud your observation skills.

Paul

Paul

I write frequently about astrophotography, technology advice, and my other interests like science fiction. I have over 30 years of experience in computer programming, information technology, and project management.

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