The magnetic field simulations are shown for 2010 November 6th and for 2011 February 16. Open field is marked pink or green while closed field connecting opposite polarities is yellow. Harry Roberts and the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory While the sun doesn’t look magnetic in a small telescope, our star is a wholly magnetic body – and despite it’s huge size, one that can change quickly.

Surges and post flare loops from sunspot AR11176 on 22 March 2011. Image and copyright Harry Roberts ©, all rights reserved plus NASA/GOES satellite “Elegant features of most large flares. It is not known if they occur in small flares because of visibility problems”.

One of the nicest aspects of working in this spectacular observatory is the range of people that come to visit. Allan recently met Mr Francis Ahn from Korea who was holidaying and took the time to show us some of his images.

Two views of the unusual sunspot group AR11164 sketched three days apart. Image and copyright Harry Roberts ©, all rights reserved Eye-catching surges, writhing like snakes in brilliant red, were how this strange group announced itself.

The brightest star in the sky Sirius imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope on 15 October 2003. Image courtesy NASA, H.E. Bond and E. Nelan (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.); M. Barstow and M.