Sun Spotter

Sun Spotter is an excellent software tool that allows users to access the latest white-light image of the Sun, sourced from the SOHO website. This image reflects the view one would see through a telescope equipped with a standard solar filter. Additionally, the app comes with brief notes included to explain what each image represents. Designed for both amateur astronomers and students/teachers interested in the Sun, Sun Spotter is a simple and easy-to-use tool for grabbing a variety of images of the Sun from the SOHO web site.

At the top left of the app interface, users will find eight buttons, each labeled according to the type of solar image it will download. The first three type of images are captured by the Michelson Doppler Imager. Continuum and Sunspot images mimic closely what one would see through a small telescope equipped with an appropriate solar filter (since it is very dangerous to look directly at the Sun without a solar filter). The Magnetogram image displays the Sun's magnetic field, with black and white speckles representing the opposite polarities.

The EIT or Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope images are taken at various wavelengths, such as 171, 195, 284, and 304 Angstroms, and essentially show different layers of the Sun with different temperatures. The LASCO or Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph blocks out the actual disc of the Sun and takes images of the corona instead. The white circle at the center of these images serves as an outline of the Sun, showing that the C2 image covers a narrower field of view than the C3 image. Users may also access these image options through the Get menu or keyboard shortcuts as indicated therein.

To use Sun Spotter, one only requires an internet connection and QuickTime. With its user-friendly interface and simple design, Sun Spotter is a must-have tool for anyone interested in exploring the solar system.