solar-section

Useful links for new solar observers

A vast amount of useful and informative material relating to the appearance of the sun at different wavelengths, visual and instrumental observation, and analyses and records of sunspot data are available via the Internet. The list below is intended to provide the new observer with some initial points of contact with this resource. Some entries in the list present the full address required to get to a specific display or table.

Sunspot Report Form

The sunspot reporting form below has been created with a variation of the SUNKEY.exe program
and embodies the information and column/character alignments required by the AAVSO Solar
Division data processing software. It can be used by any observer who has previously sent an
email report to the Division using SUNKEY.exe or the regular-mail paper report. OBSERVERS WHO

Guidelines for Solar Observers

Solar observing is unique among the objects that AAVSO observers pursue because it is so bright. The most important guideline for solar observing is observe safely. This cannot be stressed enough, and if you are uncertain about any of the following equipment and safety recommendations, please request assistance before making any observations of the Sun with your equipment.