By submitted ofelia.hunter@aliceechonews.com

By submitted ofelia.hunter@aliceechonews.com

Harley Hampton assisting Martin Sanchez use Solar Spotter Telescope.

Posted: Monday, October 20, 2014 12:42 pm

Sun-tacular By submitted ofelia.hunter@aliceechonews.com Alice Echo-News Journal

The Duval County Public Library in San Diego, Texas hosted a daytime Solar Telescope Lunch Time Viewing program on Saturday, October, 11th for Astronomy enthusiasts. Texas A&M Corpus Christi Professor Galina Reid, an assistant, 6th grader Harley Hampton and library director B. J. Alaniz set up two Coronado Personal Solar Telescopes and a Sun Spotter Telescope in order to safely view the Sun. Each person had the opportunity to look through the telescopes and the use the sun spotter to look for Sun Spots. Reid explained that at first views of the Sun the eyes needed time to adjust to the brightness even through the filtered telescope lenses.

Professor Reid invited those attending to a Sun-tacular presentation using images taken by satellites that have just been in place since the 1990s to capture the solar surface, weather and events. Reid said that surface of the intense sun reaches up to 6,000 degrees compared to solar spots producing a cooler area at 3,000 degrees. To give everyone a perspective of the size of the Sun the professor said: Imagine the Sun as wide across as 12 feet compared to entire Earths size at tiny inch.

Last year, Reids Astronomy students could spot as many at 125 Sun Spots in one day but that now that the eleven year solar cycle is winding down the numbers are going down to as little as one or two each day. During the lowest part of the eleven year solar cycle which is three years, Reid said that the Sun is absent of all sun spots.

New Sun facts and shared 3-D images taken by STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory), two crafts now sending views of both sides of the sun add new knowledge for scientists to study in the field of Astronomy. Professor Reid invited everyone back to waiting telescopes and peering through the equipment, one large sun spot could be seen as well as the movement of snake like lines and waves radiating from around the Suns edges. The Saturday program for all would be memorable earthbound Stargazing voyage.

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