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In reply to the discussion: Super hi-res sunspot [View all]

geckosfeet

(9,644 posts)
3. A huge spot - as big as the earth
Sat Aug 4, 2012, 01:31 PM
Aug 2012
Supe hi-res Sunspot


The scale of all this is hard to grasp. A quick measurement on the image indicates that the spot is about 20,000 kilometers (12,000 miles) across… in other words, just the spot’s umbra (the dark area) alone is roughly the same size as the Earth!

It’s easy to forget just how mighty the Sun is, but pictures like this really slam it home. The Sun is a star, 1.4 million kilometers across, 330,000 times as massive as the Earth, and a complex, amazing, and wondrous place.


The granules are continent sized points of convection on the surface..
Super hi-res sunspot [View all] pokerfan Aug 2012 OP
That's cool! NutmegYankee Aug 2012 #1
my dermatologist would advocate having that removed.... NRaleighLiberal Aug 2012 #2
My thought, too Stargazer09 Aug 2012 #4
For casual viewing, a Dobsonian Telescope gives you more bang for the buck. alfredo Aug 2012 #8
A huge spot - as big as the earth geckosfeet Aug 2012 #3
Great picture! Stargazer09 Aug 2012 #5
Gotta be Phil Plait! longship Aug 2012 #6
Excuse Me for Noticing This, On the Road Aug 2012 #7
Can you imagine the turbulence Curmudgeoness Aug 2012 #9
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