Observing Report 4/19/03
Location: Driveway
Telescope: TV 102 with Baader Filter on GM-8
Eyepieces: Pentax 10.5 (83x) and TV Type I 9mm Nagler (98x)
Target: Sun
Time: On and off from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m.

I set up just because I had a few minutes, but didn't expect
to see a very active sun. I first saw the large sunspot group 337
and the smaller 336 and 334. It wasn't under great seeing
conditions, I was aimed over the neighbor's roof. I was getting
glimpses between high cirrus clouds, a thicker cloud layer, and a few
open spots. The longer I looked, the more 337 changed. It looked
like it went beyond the limb, on behind the back. The spot contained
two distinct umbral regions, surrounded completely by a penumbral
area. Off to the right (through the eyepiece) the surface of the sun
seemed volatile. It wasn't a sunspot, but seemed like it was
uneven. I think a Coronado filter would have shown something here.
I stepped away from the eyepiece and came back a few minutes
later and picked up the small group 335. This area consists of two
very small spots with a very dim penumbral area surrounding them. In
between 335 and 336 was a fifth area that had three very small
sunspots. I did not pick up any penumbral region around these.
There did not appear to be much difference between the two
eyepieces. Of course the magnification was greater, but the smaller
sunspots were about equally visible. The two smaller groups (335 and
un-numbered) were not visible with the 28 mm Pentax (31x). The
seeing conditions were not good enough to do a real comparison. I
looked on and off throughout the afternoon, and shared views with the
postman, and a former student and friend who happened to be walking
through the neighborhood. They were most appreciative, and I enjoyed
sharing.