Solar activity

AR 1504, photographed by Alan Clitherow on 14 June

Richard Bailey, Solar Section Director, reports that a large collection of sunspots, active region AR1504, near the lower centre of the Sun, is very active and may produce flares in the coming days. 

Project an image of the Sun onto a shaded white screen to see the sunspots. Observers with specialised h-alpha filter systems should watch for flares, plaging and filaments (prominences seen against the Sun's disc). NEVER look directly at the Sun with the naked eyes.