And here's what caused it all. This is the Sun in the hydrogen-alpha wavelength, photographed on 10/30/2003 from Pittsford, NY. The large sunspot complex in the 2-o'clock position is responsible for the major coronal mass ejections that caused the auroras this week.

An X10 Solar Flare on 10/29, one of the 20 most powerful ever recorded, reached Earth to cause the aurora on the 30th. An X17.2 flare earlier in the week, the third most powerful ever recorded, caused aurorae on Thursday, but Rochester was well clouded in.

Photographed through a Coronado SolarMax 60 Hydrogen-Alpha Filter. Canon D60 digital camera at prime focus of a Televue Pronto, 2x Barlow.

Here's a second shot of the sun several hours later. It uses eyepiece projection for a slightly more magnified view. This time the Sun is reoriented so that the sunspot complex which caused the major flares is at the 9-o'clock position.

Photographed through a Coronado SolarMax 60 Hydrogen-Alpha Filter. Canon D60 digital camera with eyepiece projection through 12.4mm Meade Super Plossl on a Televue Pronto.

Caution: Do not attempt to view or photograph the sun without proper safety equipment, you can permanently damage your eyes and equipment. These photos of the sun are taken through a precision-made hydrogen-alpha filter, that reduces the incoming light to a narrow wavelength which is safe to look at and allows inspection of the sun's chromosphere.