Identifying Solar Features

Abstract

For the serious amateur astronomer, observing the Sun is all about measuring, counting, or recording solar features that evolve on a continuous basis. Observations tend to split into two distinct areas of study called statistical and morphological. Statistical efforts are tabulated by an observer following various solar metrics like the daily sunspot number, prominence frequency, or the noting of sunspot group classifications. Morphology is documenting the changing appearance of a feature. Solar morphology is inclusive of photos/drawings that depict features and their positions on the Sun or perhaps a series of images showing the eruption of a prominence, even an individual snapshot of an active region.