Feb. 6th

Ali and I observed the sun again and this was the most interesting experience. Not only was it a miracle at how fast we were able to find the sun and set the telescope up accordingly, but we also looked at it for about 45minutes. The most peculiar thing occurred on it today; I believe we witnessed a solar storm! This was also the first time we decided that it would be important and wise to mark the times at which we are observing the sun when we draw what we see on the sun.

At 1:45pm, there were a lot of solar flares. There were three large sunspots, where one was located on the top (at noon spot, if looking on a clock), one on the right side (in between 3 and 4 o'clock), and the last one is on the lower left side (at around 7 o'clock). The solar flares were surrounding these spots, going around the circumference of the sun, it seems. Not many flares in the middle of this 2-D sun, we see through the telescope.

At 2:00pm, the flares move outward, making it look like the sun's edges have flew/flared out. Rather than being on the surface, as before, it appears the flares are literally flaring off the surface of the sun.

At 2:10pm, there is a lot of activity going on the visible surface of the sun. It appears that the flares and spots have now separated into two major areas and groups located at the top and at the bottom of the sun. Specifically at the bottom of the sun, more sunspots have appeared. There are at least 6 more sunspots, and at least two of them are very large spots. Plus, there is a long line of sunspots.

By 2:15pm, almost all the sunspots appeared to have disappeared, but there was still a lot of activity going on. However, most of the activity appeared to have moved upward, and is occurring at the top right side (between noon and 3 o'clock) of the sun. Also, the top portion of the sun appears to be a deep red, whereas the bottom of the sun is orange and yellow in color. I wonder if color has any relation to this solor magnetic storm.

At 2:20pm, a prominance (which looks like a triangle on the sun) appeared, but there is little activity other than that. No sunspots are seen, and no solar flares. The whole sun is red at this point. Perhaps, the storm has moved to the other side of the sun, the side we can't see through this 2-D telescope, since the sun is rotating, or the storm has ended?

By 2:25pm, we began to see the storm again. However, this time, it is located on the lower right side of the sun (at around 4 o'clock). This section contains solar flares that are going in a repetative motion of going upward, then, like a weather map, it starts over, and the flares start down and move upward again, and repeat (if that makes sense). Point of the story, we spotted solar flares moving upward, toward the middle of the sun.

From 2:30pm to 2:40pm, we see no activity, just one, giant sunspot at the top of the sun's sruface (at 12 o'clock). Perhaps this was the end of the storm?

By 2:40pm, class has ended, and we stopped observing.