Look at the Sun - Safely, at Monrovia's Library Park

Your mother always told you to never look directly at the sun, and she was right, except for this day.

Sunday June 22nd is International SUNday.

Come out to Library Park and look at the sun through several specialize solar telescopes.

One is for white light, which you will see sunspots.

The second one is for Hydrogen Alpha or Ha.

This one will show a very active spectrum of the sun where you will see filaments, prominence and spicules.

After looking at our nearest star, you will never see the sun in the same way.
Unlike looking at the Moon or Saturn through a telescope at night, which will look the same for the most part, the sun can and will change every hour, and sometimes even minutes.

I'll have some freebies like solar (sun) glasses that you can use to look directly at the sun.

Sometimes you can see sunspots with them if they are large enough.

I will be at the park around 9 AM to 4 PM on the 22nd near the corner of Myrtle Ave and Lime Ave, on the grassy area. If you are not going to be able to make it Sunday, I'll also be in Pasadena on the 28th.

This is part of the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project, a non profit Internet outreach club.

Source: Brad Hori


- Brad Haugaard