While in Hainan I got to see something I’ve never seen before, even though I’ve tried many times in the past—to see a sunspot with my naked eye. This one was particularly large, and I had no trouble identifying it as a sunspot. It looked like a very dark spot on the surface of the sun, right in the middle of the disc. I observed it on 0930 UTC 23 October 2003.
I should point out that looking directly at the sun with your naked eye is dangerous, but I had the protection of a very hazy sky to block out most of the light. Whether or not I was sufficiently protected from the UV rays of the sun damaging my eyes I do not know.
The picture on the left is a white light telescope image of the sun courtesy of the Mees Solar Observatory, University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy. Click on it for the full-size image. Remember, Astronomy rocks!