Naked eye, no scope sun spots?

[maw lod qan]

I cant recall the exact year but it would have to be the mid nineties, I was driving facing into the sun early morning.

The sun was low, where it's size appears twice as big as when it climbs higher, there was also a fairly dense layer of fog at the time. I could easily see a very large spot on the sun. It didnt move like a bird would. It stayed visible till the sun rose high enough to no longer look directly at it with your eyes.

Am I right thinking it was sun spots I was seeing.

[Geoff Barnes]

Could well have been maw, some sunspots are absolutely huge, like this one in 2014.....

[LukeSkywatcher]

4 hours ago, Geoff Barnes said:

Could well have been maw, some sunspots are absolutely huge, like this one in 2014.....

I remember it well. Biggest I've ever seen.

[Ibbo!]

I seem to remember seeing one while driving into the setting sun in the early 80's

I have also seen a couple since through baader filters but without a scope.

[Peter Drew]

Sunspots can easily be seen naked eye if they are large enough. Although the Sun can be viewed apparently comfortably when low or shrouded in mist it is still dangerous if prolonged, some of the radiation doesn't hurt until too late, bit like sunburn.    😎 

[Paul M]

No idea when it was (decades ago) but I've seen naked eye sunspots at sunset. I've also seen them in the projected image of the Sun on the bedroom wall, created by sunlight entering through a hole in the bedroom window blind. So no instrument involved

 

[Rusted]

As an 11-12 year-old I was walking home from school [late 50s, back in the last century] I could see a large black spot on the sun.
It was perfectly round and probably abut a 1/4-1/3 of the sun's diameter and remained there throughout the half hour walk.
I imagined it must have been a balloon but the distance and time involved suggest it was very unlikely.
There was nothing in the papers, nor on the radio, about little green men. Or my parents would certainly have discussed it over dinner.

I had the naughty habit of squinting through my fingers at the sun back then. So it may have been a blind spot developing.
There is certainly a large difference in the brightness of images seen through each of my eyes.
Building my own spectroscopes caused me to look at foolishly bright images too. Not very sensible.
I was keen to see all the Fraunhofer lines for myself. And did! In their thousands!

A high street optician had 60° prisms on display in the window and I saved up my pocket money for one.
I was inspired by Hale's solar work with his tower telescopes and spectrohelioscope which I had discovered in library books.
ATM 1, 2 & Advanced have a lot to answer for! It was decades before I could afford a secondhand set of my own.

Now what was the question, again? 

[Geoff Barnes]

2 hours ago, Rusted said:

Now what was the question, again? 

That got answered right at the beginning Rusted old chap. Nice to read your autobiography nonetheless!

[Rusted]

20 minutes ago, Geoff Barnes said:

That got answered right at the beginning Rusted old chap. Nice to read your autobiography nonetheless!

Thanks for the heads up.

Anything which inspires the younger generation to get involved in building optical equipment is a plus in my "well thumbed" book. 

[maw lod qan]

Thanks for the replies. It was one of those moments I found hard to believe, but was at an age I knew I wasn't imagining things.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have seen sunspots with nothing more than eclipse glasses, which is much safer than relying on mist and low altitude

[RT65CB-SWL]

On 20/08/2019 at 20:27, Ibbo! said:

I seem to remember seeing one while driving into the setting sun in the early 80's

...

I remember seeing one too, (it may have been the same one), from Peppard Common in South Oxfordshire. I pestered/asked my late grandfather if he would take me and my 'trusty' Tasco 4ETE and no solar filter, as I did not have any transport at the time and did not drive.

We waited until the Sun got on the horizon before using the 'scope to view it, and then there was a group of about twelve others wishing to view it as well. Extremely dangerous I know, (not having a solar filter), and I do not recommend it, but it was worth it before the Sun finally set for another day.

I set up the 'scope for some solar projection beforehand, and that is when the small group from the pub and dog walkers came over and had a look.   

Edited August 22, 2019 by Philip R