Current Solar Report

[Safiel]

Just posting this to spotlight how "quiet" things have been with the sun recently and that the long term trend seems to be towards "quiet."

Days since last "official" sunspot: 8

From the Space Weather Prediction Center

Updated 2009 Jul 18 2201 UTC

Joint USAF/NOAA Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity

SDF Number 199 Issued at 2200Z on 18 Jul 2009

Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 17/2100Z to 18/2100Z: Solar activity was very low. No flares occurred as the disk remains spotless.

Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity will continue very low.

Geophysical Activity Summary 17/2100Z to 18/2100Z: The geomagnetic field was quiet.

Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field will be quiet early in the interval, then become increasingly disturbed when a recurrent high-speed stream returns. Unsettled to active conditions are anticipated by July 21.

[Wild Bill03]

I have been into amatuer astronomy since around 1974 and back then I would observe the sun in white light (Only shows sun spot detail, both umbra and penumbra).

A few years ago I bought a Coronado H-Alpha solar scope that shows not just sun spots but solar prominances, filiments and other details(Awesome to see the sun in H-Alpha light, Its like watching a lava lamp).

The last two years or so have been so boring I rarely set the scope up. Even though we are at solar minimum right now this is the lowest activity I have ever seen.

The sites I listed below are the sites I visit daily to see if theres anything going on to make it worth the hastle of setting up. The first site(SOHO) I check first. The EIT 304 is close to what I see in my H-Alpha scope.
If you look around the SOHO site you can watch movie clips of solar activity.

The Second site(Space Weather) is the same one you posted and is very good for both day and night observing info.


The third site is a great Amatuer Astronomy community that includes a forum where you can learn everything from observing for newbies to Astrophotography, Cosmology, and Astro Equiptment.


I am also into Astrophotography, below is an image I won an Amatuer Astrophotography contest with.




http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html

http://spaceweather.com/

http://cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=