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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2635      2010 Apr 14 14.56UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK      Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk
WORLD WIDE WEB                         http://www.theastronomer.org
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SOLAR ACTIVITY, 2010 APRIL 13
At about 09h00mUT yesterday morning, April 13, the editor received a 
telephone call from John Fletcher of Gloucestershire reporting his 
detection (station J93) of major solar activity and subsequently he 
e-mailed to us an image of April 13 at 10h30mUT. John believes the 
prominence has disconnected and become a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). 
Messages were left with Peter Meadows and Lyn Smith (BAA Solar 
Director).

Subsequently we also received an e-mailed report from Dave Tyler who 
also had recorded this spectacular event on Apr 13 at 09h09mUT and 
described it as the largest prominence he had ever seen!

Dave Tyler reports:
I had a 'heads up' call this morning (Apr 13), re a spectacular 
prominence, but I took a shower first and nearly missed it. It was 
fading rapidly and diffused contrails etc were wafting past. I think it 
could be that large black filament recorded here on April 10, that has 
been approaching the limb this week. I managed to observe it on the limb 
visually only on Monday, through a series of cloud gaps, when it 
reminded me of a long roll of tangled barbed wire.

The April 13 view showed it was clearly not going to make it back to the 
surface, making it a CME. I had to do a montage of two frames to get it 
fully covered, at the prime focus on my 40inch focus AP. Filter was a 
Daystar / Solar Spectrum Hybrid @ f16.

The image by John Fletcher arrived just as the editor was preparing to 
e-mail the April issue to the printers so the cover was amended to 
include this item at the last minute. Dave Tyler's image may be included 
next month as it arrived after the magazine was finished.

There are now other reports of this event at:
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Guy M Hurst