October 28, 2003, about 19:00 UT. The large sunspots 10484 (second from left), and 10486 (third from left), and 10488 (right) dominate the sun's surface. All three were easy naked-eye objects (with proper filtering). Sunspot 10486 was the source of one of the most solar flares in years on October 28th at approximately 1110 UT. The blast measured X17 on the on the Richter scale of solar flares and resulted in a strong S3-class solar radiation storm. The explosion also hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. All images were obtained with a 203 mm f/7 newtonian using a Baader AstroSolar Film filter. The image on the left was captured with a Nikon CoolPix 4500 digital camera (afocal projection through a TeleVue 32 mm Plossl eyepiece). The other images were obtained with a Philips ToUcam Pro Webcam by negative projection with a Televue 2x barlow.

October 23, 2003. The large sunspots 10486 (middle) and 10484 (right) were extremely large, active and were the source of several x-class solar flares. Images were obtained with a 203 mm f/7 newtonian using a Baader AstroSolar Film filter. The image on the left was captured with a Nikon CoolPix 4500 digital camera (afocal projection through a TeleVue 32 mm Plossl eyepiece). The middle and right images were obtained with a Philips ToUcam Pro Webcam.

September 26, 2003, 16:33 UT. Sunspot group 10464 in an image by the SOHO satellite on the left and in a three-image mosaic obtained with a 203 mm f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and a Philips ToUcam webcam on the right.

June 10, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Nikon Coolpix 4500 Digital Camera with 40 mm Kellner Eyepiece. 

April 28, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Nikon Coolpix 4500 Digital Camera with 40 mm Kellner Eyepiece. 

April 28, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Nikon Coolpix 4500 Digital Camera with 40 mm Kellner Eyepiece.

April 28, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Nikon Coolpix 4500 Digital Camera with 40 mm Kellner Eyepiece.

  April 5, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Nikon Coolpix 4500 Digital Camera with 40 mm Kelner Eyepiece.

April 5, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film and Philips ToUcam Pro webcam @ f/25 using Televue 2x barlow. Closeups of sunspot groups (see above image). 

January 27, 2003. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film filter @ f/25 using Televue 2x barlow. A small sunspot group.

December 19, 2002, 20:37 UT. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film filter and Nikon CoolPix 4500 afocal projection through 40.0 mm Meade Kellner eyepiece. The large sunspot group to the right is sunspot 10226. The large group just visible to the left is sunspot 10230, and  the sunspot group to the upper left is sunspot 10229.

 Sunspot group. October 3, 2002. 8" f/7 newtonian with Baader AstroSolar Film filter and Nikon CoolPix 4500 afocal projection through 7.0 mm Nagler Type 1 eyepiece. The color balanced has been manipulated to give the sun a rich yellow color.