DIRECT WHITE LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SUN....

....are possible through a grant given to the 150 FOOT SOLAR TOWER project;
University of California Los Angeles, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy

Mt. Wilson Observatory contains the largest collection of white light photographs of the sun. This project was started in 1905, when Ferdinand Ellerman built a simple focal-plane camera. The camera was originally used at the Snow Solar Telescope, and was then relocated to the 60 Foot Solar Tower in 1907. Ironically, the Ellerman Camera was built only as a temporary camera until a better camera could be constructed. The new rotating camera did not work as well. The Ellerman camera is still in use today, and a direct photograph of the sun is taken every clear day of the year

The photos are used to monitor sun spot size, motion and number.

Images taken prior to 1985 are copyright Carnegie Institution of Washington
Images taken 1985 and after are copyright UCLA

If any images are used in other home pages appropriate
acknowledgement should be observed

Presented here is a collection of some of the more interesting photos taken over the years. It would be an extremely exhaustive effort to provide one every day.... *sigh*

...back to 60-Foot Solar Tower Home Page