Bert Rhebergen, the local sunspot expert, called me tonight with a heads-up about a possible sunspot (or sunspot group) just about to come into view on the solar disk. Tonight about 8:00 pm, he spotted a complex group of faculae on the limb of the sun. Bert explains that faculae (which appear as lighter patches on the sun’s surface when viewed through a white-light solar filter) often accompany sunspots. The patch swinging into view may be associated with a new sunspot. So I would encourage anyone with a proper solar filter or a PST to dust them off and watch the sun over the next few days.

Of course, any note about solar observing has to contain a warning to only observe the sun through a proper, safe solar filter.

Stay tuned for further developments…

Ann T.