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NSF PA/M 01-12 - April 2, 2001

Images Available: Largest Sunspot in Recent Years

	This picture of the largest sunspot group in a decade shows the Sun as seen by a film camera at the National Science Foundation's McMath-Pierce Telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ, on Friday morning, March 30, 2001. It was taken by Dr. Bill Livingston, a staff member of the National Solar Observatory in Tucson, AZ. Here is a larger version of the image. Image courtesy of NSF National Solar Observatory.

Dramatic images of the largest sunspot to appear in a decade are available from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Solar Observatory.

What: Images were taken with the NSF's Richard B. Dunn Telescope at Sacramento Peak, Sunspot, N.M., on March 27; McMath-Pierce Telescope at Kitt Peak, Ariz., on March 30; and Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) in Big Bear, Calif., on March 30. (Images should be credited to NSF National Solar Observatory)

Where: Images of the sunspot, with captions, are available at www.noao.edu/outreach/press. More information on the National Solar Observatory is available at www.nso.noao.edu.

Background: Solar scientists estimated that the diameter of this sunspot reached more than 140,000 kilometers (86,800 miles) across, or 11 times the diameter of the earth, and large enough to be visible to the naked eye.
 

For more information contact:
Amber Jones (703) 292-8070/aljones@nsf.gov

Broadcast editors:
For animation of how a solar telescope works and b-roll of one of the telescopes, contact Dena Headlee, NSF (703) 292-8070/dheadlee@nsf.gov

 
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