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#sunspot

ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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MOST ACTIVE #SUNSPOT IN YEARS: Fast-growing sunspot AR3663 has quickly become the most active sunspot of Solar Cycle 25. Today alone it has unleashed two #X-flares and six #M-class #flares. This interest-compressed movie from the #Solar Dynamics Observatory shows 12 hours of crackling action:

Each of these flares has created a brief but deep radio blackout on Earth, causing loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz. These are events easily noticed by ham radio operators, aviators and mariners using shortwave to communicate.

The flares are expected to continue. AR3663 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field where mixed polarities are bumping together in explosive proximity. NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of additional M-class flares and a 25% chance of more X-flares on May 5th.
https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

Big #sunspot AR3590 is as dangerous as it looks. Late yesterday (Feb. 21 @ 2307 UT), the active region produced a powerful X1.8-class #solarflare with a shortwave radio blackout over the western USA and Pacific Ocean. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme #ultraviolet #flash:

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The explosion did not produce a CME, at least not a bright one. NOAA analysts are still inspecting SOHO coronagraph data for signs of a storm cloud. If they find one, it will be reported here.

This could be the first of many flares from AR3590. The sunspot has an unstable 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for multiple #X-class #explosions

https://spaceweather.com/

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nowisthetime@pod.automat.click
nowisthetime

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EARTH-DIRECTED SOLAR FLARES: Sunspot AR3429 is crackling with #M-class #solarflares. This interest-compressed movie from Sept. 15th shows extreme ultraviolet flashes from four eruptions, all Earth-directed:

#Pulses of #radiation from this #sunspot are #ionizing the top of #Earth's #atmosphere, creating a rolling series of shortwave radio blackouts over all longitudes of our #planet. Ham radio operators, pilots and mariners may notice occasional loss of signal, especially at frequencies below 20 MHz.

So far none of the explosions has hurled a CME toward Earth. They've all been too brief to lift a CME out of the sun's atmosphere. However, there is a huge magnetic filament snaking around the sunspot group. If continued flaring destabilizes the filament, it could erupt and hurl significant debris in our direction.
https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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Big #sunspot AR3363 just produced a significant #solar #flare, a long-duration M6-class event during the early hours of July 18th. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast near the sun's southwestern limb:

Energetic protons accelerated by the flare have reached Earth and are now peppering the top of our planet's atmosphere. This is called a "radiation storm." According to data from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite, it is a category S2 event.

Although the explosion was not X-class, it was more powerful than many X-flares would be. Why? Because it lasted so long. The flare's X-ray output was above M5 for more than an hour and above M1 for nearly 4 hours. It had plenty of time to lift a substantial CME out of the sun's atmosphere.

https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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#X-CLASS #SOLAR #FLARE AND #CME: New #sunspot AR3341 erupted on June 20th, producing an X1.1-class solar flare (1709 UT). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:

#Radiation from the flare ionized the top of #Earth's #atmosphere. This caused a deep shortwave radio blackout over North America: map. Aviators and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as 20 minutes after the flare.

SOHO coronagraphs have since detected a CME. It is the fan-shaped cloud expanding away from the sun's southeastern limb (8 o'clock position):
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The CME's expansion velocity exceeds 1000 km/s (2.2 million mph), according to Type II radio bursts detected by the US Air Force. It's a fast mover that should deliver a potent blow to whatever it hits.

Earth is probably not in the strike zone, although a glancing blow may be possible on June 22nd or 23rd.
https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: NOAA forecasters say that minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on June 2nd when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a pair of holes in the sun's atmosphere. Aurora alerts: SMS Text

#SOLAR #FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT: A new sunspot is emerging over the sun's SE limb. It announced itself on May 31st with a long-duration M4-class solar flare:

A pulse of extreme #ultraviolet #radiation ionized the top of #Earth's #atmosphere, causing a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean almost perfectly centered over Hawaii. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal below 30 MHz for as much as an hour after 2252 UT.

Designated AR3323, the #sunspot is now turning toward Earth, and it appears to be growing more complex. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of more M-flares on June 1st.
https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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#ERUPTION: Yesterday, astronomers in Europe witnessed the most spectacular eruption of #Solar Cycle 25 so far. "It was a spine-chilling moment for me," says Mehmet Ergün, who photographed the massive spray of plasma from his observatory in Traisen, #Germany:

"This was probably the biggest eruption I have ever seen," says Ergün. "Such events cannot be planned. I was lucky to be looking when it happened."

Many observers noted the rapidity of the blast. Giorgio Rizzarelli of Trieste, #Italy, says "it lasted only about one hour. Fast prominences like this are uncommon. From a movie I made I estimate its speed was comparable to that of the solar wind." Dennis Put of The #Netherlands says "it was changing so rapidly, which made it very spectacular."

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a beginning-to-end movie of the blast:

What exploded? We don't know. The blast site is hidden behind the sun's southeastern limb. Helioseismic maps of the #sun's farside suggest a large #sunspot may be located at the base of the spray.

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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Reversed-polarity #sunspot AR3296 just unleashed a #double #solar #flare. Watch the closely-space explosions in this movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:

Extreme ultraviolet radiation from the double blast ionized the top of #Earth's #atmosphere, causing a shortwave radio blackout over North America and the Pacific Ocean. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 25 MHz between 1900 and 2100 UT (May 9th

https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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Departing #sunspot AR3234 produced another X2-class solar flare on March 3rd (1752 UTC). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme #ultraviolet #flash:
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas. Aviators and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal and other unusual propagation effects at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as an hour.
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New sunspot AR3242 is magnetically complex and crackling with M-class #solar #flares. This morning in Hong Kong, David Leong pointed his solar telescope at the #sun and immediately saw an explosion:

"AR3242 was already flaring when I started shooting at 5:11 UT," says Leong. "The unusually dark filaments kept changing shape minute by minute on my computer screen. It was an hour of wonder and excitement."

This sunspot is turning toward Earth, and it will soon be in our planet's strike zone. Stay tuned.
https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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CHAIN REACTION ON THE #SUN: A magnetic filament connected to #sunspot AR3229 erupted on Feb. 24th (1949 UTC), producing a chain reaction of events. First, the filament sliced through the sun's atmosphere:

Its liftoff destabilized the sunspot, sparking a long duration M3-class #solar #flare (2030 UTC). The flare, in turn, ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, blacking out shortwave radio transmissions around the Pacific Ocean

https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

felt this one
#X-ray #SolarFlares
6-hr max: M1 0721 UT Dec01

#SUNSPOT #ALERT: A new sunspot is emerging over the sun's southeastern limb, and it appears to be a big one. Got a solar telescope? Point your optics here.

#MARS CLOSEST APPROACH TO #EARTH: Today, Mars makes its closest approach to Earth for all of 2022. Look east after sunset. The planet is shining brightly in the constellation Taurus; its rusty-red color is unmistakable: sky map.

Although today is the date of closest approach, the real show happens one week from today. On Dec. 7-8, there's going to be a beautiful lunar occultation of Mars:

https://spaceweather.com/

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ramnath@nerdpol.ch
ramnath

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You know a #sunspot is big when you can see it in the #sunset. At the end of the day on Oct. 5th, Radu Anghel photographed AR3112 from #Bacau, #Romania:

"What a wonderful view," says Anghel. "Clouds crossing the solar disk made it look like a big Jupiter with sunspots! :)"

AR3112 is one of the biggest sunspots in years. With more than a dozen dark cores scattered across 300,000 km of solar terrain

https://spaceweather.com/

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