As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

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Maria
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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

Post by Maria »

Yesterday, we had a slow solar flare, but there was no CME released. Below is a video.

http://sdowww.lmsal.com/sdomedia/h264/2 ... N07W05.mov

Here is data from NOAA: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar ... nt-reports
It was produced by AR2661, but it started at 0212 UT, peaked at 0333 UT as a C1.3 solar class flare, and lasted for hours.

6880 + 0212 0333 0356 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C1.3 5.5E-03 2661

Note, we are in a solar minimum, when even a simple C-solar class flare is exciting.
If we were in a solar maximum, this AR2661 would have produced several M-flares by now, but it keeps decaying to a Beta and then re-emerging later as a Beta Delta or Beta Gamma.

Below is the three day plot showing the multiple B and C flaring as AR2661 repeatedly develops and then decays.
There is another region that is also contributing to multiple flares, but it has not been given a number as it rapidly develops only to decay to a plage once again.

Attachments
06-07-2017_Multiple C-Class_AR2661 over three days_goes-xray-flux.gif
06-07-2017_Multiple C-Class_AR2661 over three days_goes-xray-flux.gif (13.81 KiB) Viewed 1329 times

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Maria
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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

Post by Maria »

Today, there is a spotless sun with several plages, such as AR2661, which has decayed from a Beta-Delta-Gamma, to an alpha, and now a plage.

Here is one last hooray! This B4.1 solar class flare looked suspiciously like a hyder flare as it was very slow to reach peak (almost one hour) with a very slow descent taking another hour. http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar ... nt-reports

Edited Events for 2017 Jun 09
#
#Event Begin Max End Obs Q Type Loc/Frq Particulars Reg#
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6940 1152 1253 1319 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B4.1 1.2E-03 2661

Attachments
06-09-2017_sustained slow B flare from AR2661_1200 - 1400 UT_goes-xray-flux-6-hour.gif
06-09-2017_sustained slow B flare from AR2661_1200 - 1400 UT_goes-xray-flux-6-hour.gif (10.27 KiB) Viewed 1321 times

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Maria
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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

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After four consecutive spotless days on the sun facing us, there is now a sizeable active region emerging on the left limb (northern hemisphere). There are two noticeable plages also. One is on the left side in the southern hemisphere, while the other is on the right side northern hemisphere -- former Beta AR2661 that has decayed in recent days as it departs this side of the sun.

Stay tune, as a plage can sometimes rapidly develop into a sunspot, flare, and then rapidly decline again.

This is normal during a solar minimum along with cooler weather and perhaps a mini-ice age.

Attachments
solar image_06-12-2017_new sunspot emerging_HMIIF.jpg
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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

Post by Maria »

Go and visit The Sun Now - The Sun Today at http://www.thesuntoday.org/the-sun-now/
for some astounding images of the sun. These images are updated every ten to fifteen minutes.

There you can have a sneak preview of a newly emerging sunspot barely seen on the left limb. I viewed it at 2315 UT (04:15 PM PST), June 12, 2017.

Will this new sunspot area continue to grow or will it degrade into just another plage? The next few days will reveal its destiny.

Note: I could not copy the solar HMIIF Continuum image here as it is too large to post. Dynamic images are best not copied as they take up ban width.

Thus, it is best for you to take visit and enjoy all the various solar images displayed there. They are simply awesome.

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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

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It appears that the new sunspot group on the left limb of the sun is degrading rapidly. As the sun turned, reporting stations around the earth have reported fewer sunspots (from a high of 14, to 12, and now 11). This is to be expected during a solar minimum.

Visit http://www.sidc.be/silso/eisnplot to see the latest plot of Estimated Sunspots. It too is dynamic and will change every few minutes as the reports come in from around the world.

There is less flaring, which makes the sun appear darker, and the x-ray plot has flatlined at A6. Yes, this will cause global cooling.

Attachments
06-13-2017_0915 UT_flatlined at A6_ Solar Minimum_goes-xray-flux-6-hour.gif
06-13-2017_0915 UT_flatlined at A6_ Solar Minimum_goes-xray-flux-6-hour.gif (10.09 KiB) Viewed 1303 times

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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

Post by Maria »

AR 2661, even if still listed as a plage, is not leaving this side of the sun without a final farewell flare, the one below was registered as a B3.8 at 1940 UT (12:40 PM PST)

# Edited Events for 2017 Jun 13
#
#Event Begin Max End Obs Q Type Loc/Frq Particulars Reg#
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7000 + 1845 1940 2022 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B3.8 1.5E-03 2661

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar ... nt-reports

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Re: As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

Post by Maria »

There are two sunspot areas. One sunspot area, identified as AR2662 has emerged from the left limb, while the second area is a very small cluster of sunspots that are almost geo-centered but seemingly rapidly growing.

Again, if you visit The Sun Now, at http://www.thesuntoday.org/the-sun-now/
you can see these two areas. I am posting the link below to the solar image, which is called a continuum, but I am not activating it since this is a dynamic image, which would take up band width.
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/la ... _HMIIF.jpg

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