At 16:15 -0700 02/25/2004, Jones, Jack (AZ75) wrote: >When observing sunspots, I notice that the longer one looks at the disk in a >given session, the more spots appear that can be counted. So you say "Gee, I >guess I just missed it the first time around..." > >This is due to at least 3 things: > >Seeing gets better >It was in your blind spot >Sunspot forms while you are observing > >I've seen extra ones appear even in the center of the disk and there's no >way I could have missed them the first few times I scanned the area. > >How long does it take anyway (in minutes) for a sunspot to form, i.e. go >from invisibility to sufficient size to see with a given aperture? > >How large a spot can be obscured by the usual bad seeing that suddenly laxes >out? > >I'm using 125X, 80 mm full aperture, Baader film filter. Please do not refer >me to some source, I just want to know if its a phenom you (solar observers >on this list) ever noticed, frequently or infrequently, and have to watch >out for. > >Jack I have not noticed that visually, however I did see something interesting with a web cam while viewing sun spots. It was partly cloudy and as I was watching the image on my laptop, some clouds (thin at first) passed in front of the Sun. Suddenly I saw a couple of fainter spots. When the clouds cleared, the spots could not be seen. I played around with the gain settings and shutter speeds and was able to see them in the clear. Jeff -- Jeff Hopkins HPO SOFT ********************************************************* Small minds speak about people * Average minds speak of events ************ Great minds speak of ideas! **************** ********************************************************* Phoenix, Arizona Atlanta, Georgia 7812 West Clayton Drive 12170 Boxwood Circle Phoenix, AZ 85033-2439 U.S.A. Alpharetta, GA 30005 U.S.A. (623) 849-5889 (Fax) (770) 619-3322 (Phone/Fax) www.hposoft.com dataman.home.mindspring.com 4th Dimension Developer FileMaker Pro Expert BASIC/C/C++ Programmer/Web Site Developer -- See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please send personal replies to the author, not the list.