[Bluearrowll]

Originally Posted by elvis236

It was actually pretty cool, my friend and I were doing some solar observing the other day and we saw that giant solar filament and pretty surprised at how large it was.

It was only once I came home later that day that I noticed that it was being reported in the media as being exceptionally large and was getting quite a bit of coverage.

Gotta say, I really like that black and white image of the filament and sunspot you've got there though. It's pretty cool to see the two on one image!

What did you use for solar observing? Must be quite neat to see the picture of the day for yourself

What's in the sky tonight?
August 23, 2012

-By about 9 or 10 p.m. (depending on how far east or west you live in your time zone), the Big Dipper sinks in the northwest to the same height that Cassiopeia rises in the northeast.

Astro Picture of the Day:
August 23, 2012

Source:
During the past week, nightfall on planet Earth has featured Mars, Saturn, and Spica in a lovely conjunction near the western horizon. Still forming the corners of a distinctive celestial triangle after sunset and recently joined by a crescent Moon, they are all about the same brightness but can exhibit different colors to the discerning eye. This ingenious star trail image was recorded as the trio set on August 12 with a telephoto lens from the shores of Lake Eppalock, in central Victoria, Australia. Focused on foreground eucalyptus trees, the image slightly blurs the trails to show more saturated colors. Can you guess which trail is which? Of course the reddest trail is Mars, with Saturn on the right a paler echo of the Red Planet's hue. Left is hot and luminous Spica, bluish alpha star of the constellation Virgo.