Solar Observation

• Print
• Email

Jun 24

2020

by Sabyasachi Banik

Our nearest star,the Sun is a huge globe of hot gas.This charged gas moves and generates powerful magnetic field.The sun's magnetic field goes through a cycle of approximately 11 years known as solar cycle.In a solar cycle the sun's activity is measured in terms of change in the number of sunspots on the solar surface.Sunspots are darker regions of strong magnetic fields and lower temperature than the surrounding photospheric temperature.So sunspots look darker against the brighter photospheric background.They have distinct pattern and can be easily seen when the sun's image is projected onto a white surface.

Solar cycle 24 was the recent solar cycle which started at December 2008 and end at late 2019.Next Solar cycle 25 is likely to start.For past few months I did not notice any sunspots and the sun was quiet with no activity at all.It was the period of solar minimum. At the beginning of June,2020 I observed and took photo of a sunspot(sunspot region 2765) which was below the Suns's equator in the east limb.The sunspot grew in size and several small spots formed,finally it disappeared within 11 days approximately.I first noticed the sunspot  on 3rd June and on 14th June it was not visible at all.I have circled the sunspot region with red colour. Now till date after the sunspot(sunspot region 2765) disappeared I have not noticed any other sunspot.I would also like to show the photo of the sun which I took today.