On Thu, 2 Aug 2012 12:43:54 -0700 (PDT), Beloved Leader
wrote:

On Thursday, August 2, 2012 3:24:52 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/rt_plots/kp_3d.html Kp=5 Jim (MI)

Using binoculars, I saw a huge sunspot at sunrise this morning, which for me was right after 6:00 a.m. outside Washington, DC. It looked like the transit of Venus. Really, it was that large and noticeable.

The atmosphere was so humidity-laden that I could look at the sun through the binoculars without any needing any glass from a welder's mask. YMMV.

Do you remember the giant sunspots during the 1960's you could see
with the naked eye? Solar flux over 200. I used to pick up WWV on 25
MHz on my cheap walkie-talkies. New Zealand used to blast in around
midnight local time just below 18 MHz. Good times.

Jim (MI)