I have to admit I was wrong about AR1569. It's growth looked promising a few days ago, but it seems to be decaying along with 1571. As usual, the Sun is unpredictable.

GOOD NEWS FOR SUNTARDS!

Big Bear has upgraded its solar telescope with adaptive optics to produce the sharpest images EVER taken of our star.

From Sky & Telescope Magazine-

"The Big Bear Solar Observatory recently upgraded its New Solar Telescope with an advanced adaptive optics system. Now the telescope is showing a sharper-than-ever view of the Sun.

The telescope cuts through the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere by sending light from its 1.6-meter primary mirror into a deformable mirror only the size of a fist. The mirror bends and twists hundreds of times every second to respond to changes in the atmosphere. Small-scale features on the Sun are used as the telescope's "guide stars" — the camera that detects distortions in the atmosphere takes 1500 frames a second, so a solar feature that lasts for even 10 minutes might as well be immortal...."

Story w/pics here:

[link to www.skyandtelescope.com]