a hoard of silver coins worth # 34million that was sunk by the nazis on board a steamship has been salvaged by a british-led team at a record depth of 5,150 m -lrb- 17,000 ft -rrb- . the ss city of cairo was travelling from bombay to england in 1942 when it was torpedoed by a u-boat 480 miles south of st helena , taking 100 tons of rupees with it to the bottom of the ocean . you would be forgiven for thinking that the sun looked like a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what looks like a chick sitting on its surface . the strange formation was photographed by amateur astronomer gordon ewen , and is a sun spot . the phenomenon is fairly common and the number of spots on the solar surface reflects with how active the sun is . they occur when a concentration of magnetic fields causes the surface temperature to reduce , making a specific section of the sun stand out from its surroundings . it was long assumed that the vessel 's cargo , belonging to the uk treasury , would be lost forever such was the complexity of the task facing salvage experts . treasure trove : some of the 100 tons of rupees found buried in the ocean floor at a record depth of 17,000 ft after the cargo ship they were being transported on was sunk by a nazi submarine during world war two . record find : some coins are raised to the surface during a pioneering recovery project by a british-led team . the sun 's having a yolk ! sun spots range hugely in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope . each one can be more than ten times the size of our planet . gordon ewen captured the festive photograph using a telescope at the bottom of his garden . mr ewen , 57 , set up the observatory shed at the bottom of the garden in letchworth , hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ` i 've been interested in astronomy since i was a child . i remember i used to love borrowing books about space from the library and i had telescope when i was 10 , ' he said . ` but it all took a backseat when i went to university to study chemistry though . ' the photograph of the chick-like sun spot was taken on march 10 at midday . the large telescope focuses on a specific wavelength of light and allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface as hydrogen gas surfaces and swirls . sun spots range in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope , and more than ten times the size of our planet . sunspots have a temperature of anywhere from 2,700 to 4,200 °c -lrb- 4,890 to 7,590 °f -rrb- , compared to 5,500 °c -lrb- 9,930 °f -rrb- for the surrounding solar material , which is why they are so visible . sunspots are also sometimes the source of eruptions on the sun , namely solar flares . no , the picture on the left is not a sun spot ... : the photograph of the chick-like sunspot was taken using gordon ewen 's telescope that focuses on a specific wavelength of light . this allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface -lrb- another example of his work pictured , right -rrb- . mr ewen , 57 , set up the observatory -lrb- pictured -rrb- shed at the bottom of the garden in letchworth , hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ` i 've been interested in astronomy since i was a child . i remember i used to love borrowing books about space from the library , ' he said . hidden : the city of cairo was finally discovered -lrb- above -rrb- ` broken in two and buried deep in the seafloor silt ' they can have a temperature of anywhere from 2,700 to 4,200 °c -lrb- 4,890 to 7,590 °f -rrb- , compared to 5,500 °c -lrb- 9,930 °f -rrb- for the surrounding solar material , which is why they are so visible . the hot spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields . the sun goes through a periodic change in activity known as a solar cycle , which has an average duration of 11 years . this also affects the frequency of sunspots . sunspots should not be confused with coronal holes , regions of the corona - an aura of plasma around the sun - where the magnetic field reaches out into space rather than looping back down onto the surface . underwater company deep ocean search used powerful sonar to locate the vessel on the sea floor . that was until a team led by british expert john kingsford used pioneering techniques to track down the ship with powerful sonar and robotics . underwater company deep ocean search -lrb- dos -rrb- , which included 20 french oceanographers , was then contracted by the uk ministry of transport to recover the coins from a record depth of 17,000 ft - some 4,500 ft deeper than the titanic . sun spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields -lrb- a picture of a coronal mass ejection taken by mr ewen , pictured -rrb- . a spokesman for dos said : ` this was to be a difficult search as the water depth would exceed 5,000 m , the weather , swell and currents were known to be challenging and the presumed site was some 1,000 miles from the nearest land in the foothills of the mid-atlantic ridge . ' when the ship was finally discovered , it was ` broken in two and buried deep in the seafloor silt ' , adding that ` parts of the ship had metres of mud heaped upon it . ' the ss city of cairo was sunk en route from bombay to india , via cape town and recife in brazil . the rupees , belonging to the uk treasury , were being transported from india to england when the ship sunk . underwater company deep ocean search , which included 20 french oceanographers , was contracted by the uk ministry of transport to recover the coins from a record depth of 17,000 ft - 4,500 ft deeper than the titanic . keeping it under wraps : the recovery took place in 2013 , but has only now been made public . the ss city of cairo was travelling from bombay to england , via cape town and recife , brazil , when it was attacked by a nazi u-boat on november 6 , 1942 . the u-68 hit the vessel with one torpedo , but waited a further 20 minutes before firing the second . that crucial delay gave 296 of the ship 's 302 passengers and crew time to escape in lifeboats . famously , the german captain , karl-friedrich merten , approached the lifeboats and told the survivors : ` goodnight , sorry for sinking you . ' the victims were eventually rescued three weeks later , but 104 had died . maeva onda , one of the oceanographers on board the salvage ship , sv john lethbridge , said the search submarine was successful on its first dive . ` after two hours of underwater descent , the robot transmitted the first images of the wreck . it was incredible , ' she told le figaro , as cited by the daily telegraph . the find was confirmed when the robot brought up coins stamped with the crown . but the team suffered ` serious ' problems trying to recover the bulk of the hoard because of the depths involved . the spokesman for dos said : ` the team quickly found that operating at this depth caused serious technical difficulties which were new to us and which had to be resolved , quickly . ` the combination of pressure , temperature , repeated dives at this depth and other issues resulted in multiple breakdowns of systems such as we had not experienced before when working in 3000m to 4000m depths . ' the recovery took place in 2013 , but has only now been made public . dos has left a plaque commemorating their find on the sea bed . maeva onda , one of the oceanographers on board the salvage ship , sv john lethbridge , said the search submarine was successful on its first dive , adding : ` it was incredible '
strange formation is a sun spot and fairly common.the number on the surface correlates with how active the sun is . spots occur when magnetic fields causes surface temperature to reduce , making a section stand out . have temperature of up to 4,200 °c -lrb- 7,590 °f -rrb- , compared to 5,500 °c -lrb- 9,930 °f -rrb- of the surrounding solar material . gordon ewen captured the unique photograph using a large telescope at the bottom of his garden in hertfordshire .
a hoard of silver coins worth # 34million that was sunk by the nazis on board a steamship has been salvaged by a british-led team at a record depth of 5,150 m -lrb- 17,000 ft -rrb- . the ss city of cairo was travelling from bombay to england in 1942 when it was torpedoed by a u-boat 480 miles south of st helena , taking 100 tons of rupees with it to the bottom of the ocean . you would be forgiven for thinking that the sun looked like a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what looks like a chick sitting on its surface . the strange formation was photographed by amateur astronomer gordon ewen , and is a sun spot . the phenomenon is fairly common and the number of spots on the solar surface reflects with how active the sun is . they occur when a concentration of magnetic fields causes the surface temperature to reduce , making a specific section of the sun stand out from its surroundings . it was long assumed that the vessel 's cargo , belonging to the uk treasury , would be lost forever such was the complexity of the task facing salvage experts . treasure trove : some of the 100 tons of rupees found buried in the ocean floor at a record depth of 17,000 ft after the cargo ship they were being transported on was sunk by a nazi submarine during world war two . record find : some coins are raised to the surface during a pioneering recovery project by a british-led team . the sun 's having a yolk ! sun spots range hugely in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope . each one can be more than ten times the size of our planet . gordon ewen captured the festive photograph using a telescope at the bottom of his garden . mr ewen , 57 , set up the observatory shed at the bottom of the garden in letchworth , hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ` i 've been interested in astronomy since i was a child . i remember i used to love borrowing books about space from the library and i had telescope when i was 10 , ' he said . ` but it all took a backseat when i went to university to study chemistry though . ' the photograph of the chick-like sun spot was taken on march 10 at midday . the large telescope focuses on a specific wavelength of light and allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface as hydrogen gas surfaces and swirls . sun spots range in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope , and more than ten times the size of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields . the sun goes through a periodic change in activity known as a solar cycle , which has an average duration of 11 years . this also affects the frequency of sunspots . sunspots should not be confused with coronal holes , regions of the corona - an aura of plasma around the sun - where the magnetic field reaches out into space rather than looping back down onto the surface . underwater company deep ocean search used powerful sonar to locate the vessel on the sea floor . that was until a team led by british expert john kingsford used pioneering techniques to track down the ship with powerful sonar and robotics . underwater company deep ocean search -lrb- dos -rrb- , which included 20 french oceanographers , was then contracted by the uk ministry of transport to recover the coins from a record depth of 17,000 ft - some 4,500 ft deeper than the titanic . sun spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields -lrb- a picture of a coronal mass ejection taken by mr ewen , pictured -rrb- . a spokesman for dos said : ` this was to be a difficult search as the water depth would exceed 5,000 m , the weather , swell it was incredible '
a hoard of silver coins worth # 34million that was sunk by the nazis on board a steamship has been salvaged by a british-led team at a record depth of 5,150 m -lrb- 17,000 ft -rrb- . the ss city of cairo was travelling from bombay to england in 1942 when it was torpedoed by a u-boat 480 miles south of st helena , taking 100 tons of rupees with it to the bottom of the ocean . you would be forgiven for thinking that the sun looked like a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what looks like a chick sitting on its surface . the strange formation was photographed by amateur astronomer gordon ewen , and is a sun spot . the phenomenon is fairly common and the number of spots on the solar surface reflects with how active the sun is . they occur when a concentration of magnetic fields causes the surface temperature to reduce , making a specific section of the sun stand out from its surroundings . it was long assumed that the vessel 's cargo , belonging to the uk treasury , would be lost forever such was the complexity of the task facing salvage experts . treasure trove : some of the 100 tons of rupees found buried in the ocean floor at a record depth of 17,000 ft after the cargo ship they were being transported on was sunk by a nazi submarine during world war two . record find : some coins are raised to the surface during a pioneering recovery project by a british-led team . the sun 's having a yolk ! sun spots range hugely in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope . each one can be more than ten times the size of our planet . gordon ewen captured the festive photograph using a telescope at the bottom of his garden . mr ewen , 57 , set up the observatory shed at the bottom of the garden in letchworth , hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ` i 've been interested in astronomy since i was a child . i remember i used to love borrowing books about space from the library and i had telescope when i was 10 , ' he said . ` but it all took a backseat when i went to university to study chemistry though . ' the photograph of the chick-like sun spot was taken on march 10 at midday . the large telescope focuses on a specific wavelength of light and allows him to see the details created on the sun 's surface as hydrogen gas surfaces and swirls . sun spots range in size , from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km -rrb- to 100,000 miles -lrb- 160,000 km -rrb- wide - big enough to be seen from earth without a telescope , and more than ten times the size of -lrb- pictured -rrb- shed at the bottom of the garden in letchworth , hertfordshire , after he left his job five years ago . ` i 've been interested in astronomy since i was a child . i remember i used to love borrowing books about space from the library , ' he said . hidden : the city of cairo was finally discovered -lrb- above -rrb- ` broken in two and buried deep in the seafloor silt ' they can have a temperature of anywhere from 2,700 to 4,200 °c -lrb- 4,890 to 7,590 °f -rrb- , compared to 5,500 °c -lrb- 9,930 °f -rrb- for the surrounding solar material , which is why they are so visible . the hot spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields . the sun goes through a periodic change in activity known as a solar cycle , which has an average duration of 11 years . this also affects the frequency of sunspots . sunspots should not be confused with coronal holes , regions of the corona - an aura of plasma around the sun - where the magnetic field reaches out into space rather than looping back down onto the surface . underwater company deep ocean search used powerful sonar to locate the vessel on the sea floor . that was until a team led by british expert john kingsford used pioneering techniques to track down the ship with powerful sonar and robotics . underwater company deep ocean search -lrb- dos -rrb- , which included 20 french oceanographers , was then contracted by the uk ministry of transport to recover the coins from a record depth of 17,000 ft - some 4,500 ft deeper than the titanic . sun spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields -lrb- a picture of a coronal mass ejection taken by mr ewen , pictured -rrb- . a spokesman for dos said : ` this was to be a difficult search as the water depth would exceed 5,000 m , the weather , swell it was incredible '
a hoard silver coins worth # 34million that sunk the nazis on board has at a record depth 5,150 m -lrb- 17,000 ft -rrb-. the ss city cairo was travelling bombay england 1942 a u 480 st helena, taking 100 tons rupees with to the bottom. you would forgiven the sun looked a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what a chick sitting its surface. the strange formation was photographed amateur astronomer gordon ewen, is a sun spot. the phenomenon is fairly the number spots the solar surface reflects with how active. they occur a concentration magnetic fields causes the surface temperature reduce, making a specific section the sun stand it long assumed the vessel 's cargo, belonging the uk treasury lost forever such was the complexity facing salvage experts treasure : some the 100 tons rupees found buried the ocean floor at a record depth after the cargo ship they being a nazi submarine during world war. record find : some coins raised the surface during a pioneering recovery project by a british-led team. the sun 's having a yolk! sun spots range hugely, just 10 miles -lrb- 16km 160,000 wide big enough earth without. each one can our planet. gordon ewen captured the festive photograph using a telescope at the bottom. mr ewen, 57, set up the observatory shed at letchworth, hertfordshire after he five ` i 've interested astronomy. i remember i used love borrowing books about space from telescope when 10, ' he. ` but all took when i university to chemistry though. ' the photograph the chick-like sun spot march 10 at midday. the large telescope focuses a specific wavelength allows him the details created on the sun 's surface as hydrogen gas surfaces and swirls. sun spots range, from just 10 miles -lrb- 16km to 100,000 miles 160,000 wide big enough earth without, sunspots have a temperaturec -lrb- 4,890f, compared 9,930 for the surrounding solar material, why so visible. sunspots are also sometimes the source eruptions on, namely solar flares no, the picture on a sun spot... : the photograph the chick-like sunspot was using gordon ewen 's telescope that focuses a specific wavelength this allows him see the details created on the sun 's surface -lrb- another example his work pictured, right -rrb-. mr ewen, 57, set up the observatory -lrb- pictured -rrb- shed at in letchworth, hertfordshire after he five. ` i 've interested astronomy. i remember i used love borrowing books about space from, ' he hidden : the city cairo was finally discovered -lrb- above -rrb- ` broken in two and buried deep the seafloor silt ' they can have a temperaturec 4,890f, compared 9,930 for the surrounding solar material, why visible. the hot spots are also the source eruptions on, mainly solar flares -lrb- cmes -rrb-, all linked magnetic fields. the sun goes through a periodic change activity known, has 11 years this also affects the frequency sunspots. sunspots should confused coronal holes, regions - an aura plasma around where reaches out rather looping back down onto. underwater company deep ocean search used powerful sonar the vessel on. that was until a team led british expert john kingsford used pioneering techniques track the ship with powerful sonar robotics. underwater company deep ocean search -lrb- dos -rrb-, which included 20 french oceanographers, was then contracted the uk ministry transport recover the coins a record depth - some deeper titanic. sun spots are also the source eruptions on, mainly solar flares -lrb- cmes -rrb-, all linked magnetic fields a picture taken mr ewen, pictured -rrb-. a spokesman dos said : ` this to a difficult search as the water depth exceed, the weather, swell currents known challenging the presumed site some miles in the mid-atlantic ridge. ' when the ship finally discovered, ` broken and buried adding parts metres mud heaped ' the ss city cairo was sunk en bombay india, via cape town recife in the rupees, belonging the uk treasury being transported india england when sunk. underwater company deep ocean search, which included 20 french oceanographers was contracted the uk ministry transport recover the coins a record depth - deeper titanic. keeping under : the recovery took 2013, has only now made the ss city cairo was travelling bombay england, via cape town recife brazil when a nazi u- on november 6 1942 the u-68 hit the vessel one torpedo, but waited a further 20 minutes. that crucial delay gave 296 of the ship 's 302 passengers escape in lifeboats. famously, the german captain, karl-friedrich merten approached the lifeboats told the survivors : ` goodnight, sorry sinking you. ' the victims eventually rescued three, 104 had. maeva onda, one the oceanographers on board the salvage ship, sv john lethbridge said the search submarine successful on. ` after two hours underwater descent, the robot transmitted the first images the wreck. it incredible, ' she told le figaro as cited the daily telegraph. the find was confirmed when the robot brought coins stamped the crown. but the team suffered ` serious ' problems trying recover the bulk the hoard because the depths involved. the spokesman dos said : ` the team quickly found operating at this depth caused serious technical difficulties which new which had, quickly. ` the combination pressure, temperature repeated dives at this depth other issues resulted multiple breakdowns systems such we not experienced when working 3000m to depths. ' the recovery took 2013, has only now made. dos has left a plaque their find the sea bed. maeva onda, one the oceanographers on board the salvage ship, sv john lethbridge said the search submarine successful on adding : ` it incredible '
a hoard of silver coins worth # 34million that was sunk by the nazis on board a steamship has been salvaged by a british-led team at a record depth of 5,150 m -lrb- 17,000 ft -rrb- . the ss city of cairo was travelling from bombay to england in 1942 when it was torpedoed by a u-boat 480 miles south of st helena , taking 100 tons of rupees with it to the bottom of the ocean . you would be forgiven for thinking that the sun looked like a giant yolk after an amateur astronomer captured what looks like a chick sitting on its surface . the strange formation was photographed by amateur astronomer gordon ewen , and is a sun spot . the phenomenon is fairly common and the number of spots on the solar surface reflects with how active the sun is . they occur when a concentration of magnetic fields causes the surface temperature to reduce , making a specific section of the sun stand out from its surroundings . it was long assumed that the vessel 's cargo , belonging to the uk treasury , would be lost forever such was the complexity of the task facing salvage experts . treasure trove : some of the 100 tons of rupees found buried in the ocean floor at a record depth of 17,000 ft after the cargo ship they were being transported on was sunk by a nazi submarine during world war two . record find : some coins are raised to eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields . the sun goes through a periodic change in activity known as a solar cycle , which has an average duration of 11 years . this also affects the frequency of sunspots . sunspots should not be confused with coronal holes , regions of the corona - an aura of plasma around the sun - where the magnetic field reaches out into space rather than looping back down onto the surface . underwater company deep ocean search used powerful sonar to locate the vessel on the sea floor . that was until a team led by british expert john kingsford used pioneering techniques to track down the ship with powerful sonar and robotics . underwater company deep ocean search -lrb- dos -rrb- , which included 20 french oceanographers , was then contracted by the uk ministry of transport to recover the coins from a record depth of 17,000 ft - some 4,500 ft deeper than the titanic . sun spots are also the source of eruptions on the sun , mainly solar flares and coronal mass ejections -lrb- cmes -rrb- , all of which are linked to magnetic fields -lrb- a picture of a coronal mass ejection taken by mr ewen , pictured -rrb- . a spokesman for dos said : ` this was to be a difficult search as the water depth would exceed 5,000 m , the weather , swell it was incredible '
 A team of British experts salvaged a hoard of silver coins worth £34 million from a steamship that sank in 1942. The SS City of Cairo was traveling from Bombay to England when it was torpedoed by a Nazi submarine, taking 100 tons of rupees to the ocean floor. The treasure was found at a record depth of 17,000 feet using powerful sonar and robotic subs. The sunken cargo ship's treasure is linked to magnetic fields, which cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events are periodic, with an average duration of 11 years, affecting the frequency of sunspots.