Home » News » Happy 2020!
02
January
2020
Happy 2020!
We recently closed the year 2019, a year that has brought us many good things, such as the successful deployment of Cheops, a satellite which will help us to know more about exoplanets.
 
Now it is time to start a new year with the same enthusiasm as the previous ones.  And what better way to start it with the CESAR team and a look at the sun with our HELIOS observatory in ESAC.
 
Visible (left) and h-alpha (right) filter images from the Sun 2 of January 2020 around 12:30 UTC, from CESAR Helios observatory.
 
Although the sun is currently at the minimum of its activity cycle, it seems that our star wants to greet the New Year with a Solar Spot, the first in quite some time.
 
As you can see in the image of the halpha filter (above on the right side), there is a region sligthly lighter than the rest of the surface (top right). This phenomenon is known as faculae, an area of the sun somewhat hotter than the rest of the photosphere. If we look in more detail in the image of the visible light (above left), we can also see the corresponding sunspot, the first we see in a long time!
 
You can see the Sun live every day on our web page: the Sun live
Related news
CESAR Helios Observatory Update
Report of solar activity from the CESAR Helios observatory. See more
31
October
2022
CESAR Observes Jupiter in its Closest Approach
The CESAR Helios Observatory was repurposed for the night of September 26 to observe Jupiter in its closest approach to Earth since 1963. See more
05
October
2022
Solar Activity Update 23 Sept 2022
Report of solar activity from the CESAR Helios observatory. See more
23
September
2022
Solar Activity Update 22 Jul 2022
Report of high solar activity in the recent weeks from the CESAR Helios observatory. See more
22
July
2022
CESAR Helios Observatory Update
The CESAR helios observatory has resumed daily operation in a time of high solar activity. See more
17
June
2022
Sun daily videos - CESAR Helios observatory
The Sun daily observation videos. Tell us if you see some events in the videos! See more
23
March
2020
CESAR at the ESA Space Science Workshop SSW#12, Aranjuez
CESAR will present the Solar Eclipse results in the ESA Space Science Workshop SSW#12, held 12-14 Nov 2019 in Aranjuez. CESAR has prepared a series of 4 posters. The posters describe the activities carried out during the Total Solar Eclipse 2019. See more
12
November
2019
A timelapse of the Total Solar Eclipse 2019
Total Eclipse video from the CESAR team. Images acquired every 15sec with a Baader white light filter and a 1m telescope. Camera Canon 550D. Location: ESO La Silla observatory See more
15
September
2019
The Sun in 2017
The Sun in 2017 as seen by the CESAR Helios Observatory located at ESAC, Madrid. The posters compile in a calendar form a sample of the images acquired during each day in 2017. Other highlights of 2017 are also shown. See more
11
January
2018
CESAR at the European Planetary Science Conference EPSC: transits in our Solar System
The CESAR team presented at the European Space Science Conference a paper related to their educational activities Transits in our Solar System for educational activities: Venus Transit 2012, Mercury Transit 2016 and Total Solar Eclipse 2017 See more
21
September
2017
A different Solar System journey
Presentation of a sensory journey through the Solar System in the little kids space science programme See more
21
February
2017
CESAR in First Space Summer School on ESAC
CESAR team promoted the First Space Summer School in the European Space Astronomy Center. See more
30
July
2015
Detailed image of the Sun´s surface
On the image, some main features of the Sun's chromosphere such as sunspots or filaments are visible. See more
07
July
2015
Sun Live mini website
Observe the Sun with Visible and H-Alpha filters, see timelapse video of the Sun and download the Sun archive files. See more
01
September
2014
Sun public observation during the ESAC Fun Run
The CESAR team set up the solar telescopes for a public observation of the Sun during the ESAC Fun Run See more
16
October
2013
'First Light' for HELIOS ESAC's Solar Observatory
The Sun images and videos will be posted and archived in dedicated webpages for the Solar Observatory See more
23
May
2013
Solar Observatory dome installed
The solar observatory 3m dome was installed at the highest point of the ESAC premises in Madrid. See more
11
April
2013