WHOA! Check out this *PIC* of a Giant Sunspot!!!!!!!!!!!

[ScoobMaster]

Awesome looking Pic!!!!!!!!!
Giant sunspot 720 (and a passing airplane) photographed by amateur astronomer Jan Koeman of the Netherlands on Jan. 15, 2005.


Five days later, on January 20th, 2005, "NOAA 720" exploded. The blast sparked an X-class solar flare, the most powerful kind, and hurled a billion-ton cloud of electrified gas (a "coronal mass ejection") into space. Solar protons accelerated to nearly light speed by the explosion reached the Earth-Moon system minutes after the flare--the beginning of a days-long "proton storm."

More detailed story about the blast

Gallery of Aurora's caused by this explosion

*PIC* One of my Favs - SURREAL looking snow patterns and Aurora

*PIC* Spooky!

*PIC* WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[neonerd]

:thumbsup:

 

[ThePresence]

Coolio.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

wow nice pics. thx.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GoingUp]

Sweet pic. How would you take something like that?

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: neonerd
:thumbsup:

 

[shimsham]

telescope plus a filter. just a guess tho.

 

[xSauronx]

shame they aren't larger, would make some great wallpapers

 

[radioouman]

I can't imagine that this is real....

 

[lavagirl669]

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster
Awesome looking Pic!!!!!!!!!
Giant sunspot 720 (and a passing airplane) photographed by amateur astronomer Jan Koeman of the Netherlands on Jan. 15, 2005.


Five days later, on January 20th, 2005, "NOAA 720" exploded. The blast sparked an X-class solar flare, the most powerful kind, and hurled a billion-ton cloud of electrified gas (a "coronal mass ejection") into space. Solar protons accelerated to nearly light speed by the explosion reached the Earth-Moon system minutes after the flare--the beginning of a days-long "proton storm."

More on the blast

Gallery of Aurora's caused by this explosion

One of my Favs - SURREAL looking snow patterns and Aurora

Spooky!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:Q

 

[JoeKing]

"coronal mass ejection"

uhhh... huhhuhuhuhuh! He said coronal.

 

[HaxorNubcake]

 

[Bootprint]

Aurora captured with a fisheye lens.

 

[AaronB]

This was an excellent post! Thanks for all the links.

 

[imported_JeReMY]

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster

*PIC* Spooky!

*PIC* WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These two remind anyone of the beginning of Maximum Overdrive?

First thing that came to mind when I saw them....

Cool pics! :thumbsup:

 

[Wallydraigle]

That's pretty awesome.

 

[Cristatus]

i wish they were of higher res (i.e.: bigger, not quality wise). /me wants it as a wallpaper.

 

[nycxandy]

Those are fricking schweeet!

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster*PIC* One of my Favs - SURREAL looking snow patterns and Aurora

*PIC* Spooky!

*PIC* WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having never seen the Northern Lights in person, I have a hard time believing that it actually looks like this, instead of just some photographic trickery. Long exposure, slow film speed, etc.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: Triumph

Originally posted by: ScoobMaster*PIC* One of my Favs - SURREAL looking snow patterns and Aurora

*PIC* Spooky!

*PIC* WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having never seen the Northern Lights in person, I have a hard time believing that it actually looks like this, instead of just some photographic trickery. Long exposure, slow film speed, etc.

The ones I've seen usually aren't that bright and the only way to take a picture is to use a slower shutter speed. But they do look sort of like that just a little dimmer, like a giant curtain fluttering.

 

[Miramonti]

The sun is fascinating. Seriously.

 

[Goosemaster]

I swear at first glance I was like

"Hey that's Santa!"

lol

 

[edro]

That takes some patience and a lot of luck to get a shot like that. Very very nice!