Scientists will often tell you that now is the most exciting time for a particular interest. We will always have just discovered or invented something that will revolutionize something or the other. The computer on which I am typing this, for example, is four times faster than its predecessor and slightly cheaper. However, the last decade or so has seen some advances that have changed the face of amateur solar astronomy. Professional researchers have been using many of the tools and techniques for years but now they are available to amateurs as well. The use of digital photography and...