Patience Rewarded: Solar Viewing at the ROG - Saturday 28 June 2025

Mike Meynell
Jun 28
2 min read

Updated: 7 days ago

The forecast was a tricky one. Cloud cover looked stubborn for much of the morning, and deciding which day to run wasn’t easy. Saturday offered a larger team and (eventually) more bearable conditions. In contrast, Sunday looked clearer but promised intense heat and fewer volunteers - not ideal when breaks and shelter are essential. In the end, Saturday won out… and it proved the right call.

Tim commands the Sun to appear! - Picture by Alec Knox

We arrived on site under leaden skies, but the team quickly turned the lull into an opportunity for conversation and camaraderie. There was plenty of laughter, sharing of solar knowledge, and – thanks to Tim – even some science. He brought along a couple of small spectroscopes, and despite the cloud, we were still able to make out some of the solar absorption lines. A lovely bit of kit, and great for those early hours when the Sun itself remained frustratingly hidden.

At around 1pm, the breakthrough came – literally. Skies cleared, revealing stunning solar activity. Three enormous prominences were the standout feature, but there were also sunspots, filaments and plage on show. Although the Royal Observatory felt a little quieter than usual – perhaps due to the heat – once the Sun appeared, we were busy. Queues formed quickly, and the Coronado scope and the Sunspotter were constantly in use through to our 4pm finish.

Sara and Yvonne busy with the Sunspotter - Picture by Phil Benson

It was also a pleasure to welcome Raymond to his first solar viewing event as a volunteer. Like others before him, he jumped straight into the action with confidence and enthusiasm. A great addition to the team.

By the end of the day, we’d welcomed over 300 visitors, delivered another successful session, and added a bit more team spirit to an already brilliant volunteer group.

Most of the Flamsteed team at the end of another successful event - Picture by Simon Hurst

This was our eighth event of the season – eight out of eight delivered successfully – matching the total number of sessions we ran in the entire 2024 season. And with seven more events still to come, it’s shaping up to be a record-breaking summer.

Here’s hoping our good run continues on 11 or 12 July!