Paper Plate Education
"Serving the Universe on a Paper Plate"

Activity: Tracking Sunspots

Important: Do not look directly at the sun. Either use only proper filters on telescopes or project the image.

Project, trace, and track sunspots directly on a plate which defines the outline of the sun.

This activity was demonstrated by Clyde Simpson at 2000 Ohio GLPA State Meeting at Shaker Hts. High School planetarium.

Two detailed plates courtesy of Clyde Simpson.

OR...

View sunspots through a properly filtered telescope (see http://www.transitofvenus.org/safety.htm) and transfer what you see onto a paper plate that represents the solar disk. Compare a series of plates from successive days to track sunspots and to predict the rotational period of the sun.

	Erik Fabian draws sunspots during an active period of the sun.
	Patty Shepelak draws sunspots as seen through an 80 mm refractor with a solar filter.

	YMCA Camp Eberhart counselor Todd Gonzales draws and tracks sunspots during Astrocamp week on July, 2003.
	YMCA Camp Eberhart visitor Laurie B. draws sunspots. For more Camp Eberhart images see Gallery: Astrocamp 2003. 1:51 p.m. 7-2-03 4.5" reflecting Dobsonian

Contributed by Chuck Bueter.

Demonstrated by Clyde Simpson at 2000 Ohio GLPA State Meeting at Shaker Hts. High School planetarium.

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