Sunny Delight

The top image is the approximate color of the sun as seen through my Celestron F60(EQ) Mylar Solar Filter which gives our closest star a bluish cast. The bottom image was color corrected to give sol a more natural appearance. The solar filter was fitted to my camera's 200mm HB-37 lens hood. Although not overly crisp images, one can clearly see sunspots on the discs. The sun sports numerous spots at this time because it is nearing its 11-odd year Solar Maximum cycle. Sunspots are base points for coronal loops and appear dark because--though they are far from "cool"--they are cooler than the surrounding surface areas. These photographs were shot at 5:40 PM, Monday, June 11, 2012 from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and were imaged at 1/320-second at f/13, 200 ISO.