Personal observation at observatory
2006-11-12 02:31:09 · 5 answers · asked by bwadsp 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
This is a large sunspot NOT mercury the transit was not seen in the uk as well!
2006-11-12 03:42:12 · update #1
Not really all that strange. Even though we are at/near minimum doesn't mean there will be no sunspots. As someone else above correctly stated, the sunspot cycle is a statistical thing - statistically speaking we are less likely to see many sunspots right now. But that has no bearing on the size of the sunspots that do show up.
Those suggesting it is Mercury that you are seeing, they obviously don't know much about Mercury transits or sunspots. Mercury is teeny tiny against the Sun, way smaller than the average sunspot, never mind a large one like the one you see (the dot of Mercury on the Sun is not visible without a telescope, while the largest sunspots are visible without a telescope).
2006-11-12 04:24:58 · answer #1 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sunspot activity is a statistical phenomenon, so seeing a large one at any given time wouldn't be that unusual. The term "minimum" just means you wouldn't expect to see very many.
2006-11-12 02:59:03 · answer #2 · answered by stevewbcanada 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We should soon reach the bottom of the solar cycle ,I would not think it unusual for the odd spot to turn up though.
It would be stranger if hundreds of spots developed as they did 6 years ago at the maximum.
I also believe that cycle 24 will produce more activity than normal.
2006-11-12 02:46:02 · answer #3 · answered by psychodad 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It could be the planet mercury, as there has been a transit of mercury going on lately.
2006-11-12 03:12:13 · answer #4 · answered by Martin 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you were looking at pictures from a few days ago it could be the transit of Mercury.
2006-11-12 02:36:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋