Well, folks, it looks like we are headed for another spotless day in about three to four days from now.
When we begin to see many spotless days, then we are heading for a solar minimum as is expected. Typically, a Solar Minimum follows the Solar Maximum, and this generally occurs within an eleven year cycle. However, if years of spotlessness occurs, we can experience a mini-ice age. Recall that the River Thames froze over during the Maunder Minimum, which occurred between 1645 to 1715.
The sun is not dead yet.
Apparently, a large sunspot has just erupted in an M-1 flare today. See the excerpt below from
www.spaceweather.com
M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Today, March 5th at 18:01 UT, Earth-orbiting satellites recorded an M1-class solar flare: image. The source is hidden just behind the sun's southeastern limb. Because the flare was partially eclipsed by the edge of the sun, it was probably stronger than its nominal M1 classification. The underlying sunspot will be revealed in the days ahead as the sun's rotation turns it toward Earth. Stay tuned for an uptick in solar activity.
So, we might expect solar class M or even X flares within the next few days.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
Today, we experienced an M-3 Solar Class flare from the same sunspot which produced that M1 Solar Class flare yesterday. It is still on the other side of the sun on the limb, but will soon make its debut.
See this blackout world map of the M-3 blast:
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
We have experienced significant solar flares for the past three days:
An M1 on Thursday
An M3 followed by an M1 on Friday
An M9 on Saturday
All these were caused by a new sunspot coming around from behind the sun: 2297
Here is the latest sunflare as shown on this photo captured on March 7th at 22:22 UT (2.22 PST) by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
Below is the NOAA blackout map of the event:
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
Today, we experienced two huge Solar Flares:
M4 1433 UT Mar09
M5 2354 UT Mar09
M5 0324 UT Mar10
Edited to add: we have had now three huge Solar Flares. The last one appears to have been a magnet crochet with a rapid ascent and decline. My computer screen went blank for a few seconds, and we had radio dropout (listening to Ancient Faith Radio).
See http://www.spaceweather.com for updates.
The source sunspot, AR 2297, has developed a "beta-gamma-delta magnetic field" that can unleash an X class solar flare.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
Here is a picture of the M-5 solar class flare that occurred at on March 9, 2014 at 23:53 UT (4:53 PM PDT).
See www.spaceweather.com for further information.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
More significant Solar Flares today:
Class Approximate time
M 3 at 0002 UT
M 2 at 0750 UT
M 2 at 0800 UT
X 2 at 1622 UT
M 1 at 1845 UT
C 7 at 2220 UT
X 2 shown below taken by NASA
X2-FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT: All week long, sunspot AR2297 has been crackling with solar flares. Today it produced a really big one. On March 11th at 16:22 UT (09:22 PDT), Earth orbiting-satellites detected an X2-class flare, shown here in an image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
See www.spaceweather.com for more details.
Right now, the graph is again active approaching another possible M class solar flare. Stand by.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
