On rare occasions around peaks in the 11 year solar
activity cycle, a sunspot group may appear which is
sufficiently large to be observed without any optical
aid other than a filter for safely viewing the Sun. If
observing this phenomenon interests you, don't count on
quick success; it took me thirty-five years
from the time I started looking until I observed my
first naked-eye sunspot on September 23rd, 2000. This
document contains photos of that enormous sunspot, both
my own and high resolution images from spacecraft and a
solar observatory, and provides tips and resources to
assist in your own quest to view the next “big one”.