SOLAR WATCH * Huge X8.2 Flare Sept. 10, 2017! (Updated Daily)

A large filament is snaking its way across the northern hemisphere.

H-alpha image:

[link to cesar.kso.ac.at]

Solar Activity

.24 hr Summary...
Solar activity remained at low levels due to a C3/Sf flare that occurred
at 09/0831 UTC from Region 2866 (S18W06, Dkc/beta). This region was
mostly unchanged, with just slight decay in the trailer spots. The only
other flare activity was a B6 flare from Region 2868 (S21W19, Dhi/beta).
This region showed some consolidation in the intermediate spots and weak
development in the trailer spots. Region 2869 (S34W01, Cro/beta)
exhibited growth in both spots and areal coverage.

Region 2863 (S16W66, Hsx/alpha) and Region 2864 (N24W62, Hsx/alpha) were
mostly stable and inactive. New Region 2870 (S31E56, Axx/alpha) was
numbered today as it rotated onto the SE limb.

No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery
during the period.

.Forecast...
Solar activity is expected to continue at low levels 09-11 Sep, with a
slight chance for M-class flares (R1-R2; Minor-Moderate radio blackouts)
all three days.

AR2866 images:

[link to www.solarham.net (secure)]

AR2868 images:

[link to www.solarham.net (secure)]

I truly appreciate your kind words. Thank you so much! :)

You be well too friend.

Today's Sunspot Number of 124 is by far the highest of Cycle 25.

[link to www.solen.info]

The lack of flares is truly mystifying....

Solar Activity

.24 hr Summary...

Solar activity reached low levels due to a long duration, C1/Sf flare
from Region 2868 (S22W34, Dki/beta), observed at 10/2134 UTC. Slight
decay was observed in the trailing spots of Regions 2866 (S18W19,
Dkc/beta), 2869 (S34W14, Cao/beta) and 2868. The rest of the spotted
regions were stable and quiet. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed.

.Forecast...
Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels with a slight
chance for M-class (R1-R2, Minor-Moderate) flares due primarily to the
complexity of Regions 2866 and 2868.

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary
SRS Number 254 Issued at 0030Z on 11 Sep 2021
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 10 Sep
I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 10/2400Z
Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type
2863 S15W81 260 0070 Hsx 02 01 Alpha
2864 N24W76 255 0080 Cso 02 02 Beta
2866 S18W19 198 0460 Dkc 07 17 Beta
2868 S22W34 213 0250 Dki 08 20 Beta
2869 S34W14 193 0060 Cao 07 09 Beta
IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 10/2400Z Sep
Nmbr Location Lo
2865 N23W56 235
2870 S31E45 134
II. Regions Due to Return 11 Sep to 13 Sep
Nmbr Lat Lo
2862 S28 082

Thanks for all the updates :)

A LOPSIDED CME IS COMING: Last week, 3 CMEs missed Earth. Will this week be different? Another CME is on the way following an explosion in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2864 on Sept. 8th. NOAA analysts believe Earth could experience a glancing blow or near miss late on Sept. 11th.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1435450783705698313

[link to www.spaceweather.com (secure)]

SUNSPOT SUNRISE: Sunrise on Sept. 9th was something special. "This is how the sun came up over the Sierra del Cid--with a sun full of spots and mountaineers surrounded by pines," says photographer Jordi L. Coy of Spain.

https://imgur.com/LDpQYZh

Yes, this picture is real. Coy took it using a Canon 5D MK IV digital camera and a safe solar filter. "It is only one exposure," he says.

It's been years since images like this were possible. The last time the sun had so many spots was Sept. 2017 at the tail end of old Solar Cycle 24. New Solar Cycle 25 is matching and could soon exceed its predecessor. Stay tuned for more weird sunrises.

[link to www.spaceweather.com (secure)]

Something Exploded Behind the Sun's Southeastern Limb


[link to www.youtube.com (secure)]

8)

A PROMINENCE BLOWS ITS TOP: The photo-op is over. A huge solar prominence that astronomers around the world have been photographing this weekend has blown its top.NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the eruption:

https://imgur.com/K0Zvnhy

Prominences are giant clouds of hydrogen held above the surface of the sun by magnetic fields. This was one of the biggest in years. At its apex yesterday it curled around almost 20% of the sun's circumference. Such large structures made of plasma and magnetism rarely last long and, as expected, the prominence collapsed on Sept. 12th, hurling part of itself into space.

A CME might be forthcoming. Confirmation awaits fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs. If so, the cloud is unlikely to strike Earth (another miss!) because of the prominence's location on the far eastern limb of the sun.

[link to www.spaceweather.com (secure)]

Look at SOHO live images now!
[link to soho.nascom.nasa.gov (secure)]

Maybe it was this...

https://twitter.com/_/status/1437172839812112392

POSSIBLE EARTH-DIRECTED CME: During the early hours of Sept. 13th (~0200 UT), a dark filament of magnetism on the sun exploded. The blast hurled a CME into space, and maybe toward Earth. Initial modeling by NOAA suggests a near miss (or glancing blow) on Sept. 16-17. The fact that the CME overlaps at least two other CMEs makes unraveling its trajectory tricky. Stay tuned for additional analysis.

https://imgur.com/wdqHb56

[link to www.spaceweather.com (secure)]

[link to sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov (secure)]

Is that picture even real?

THanks OP!!!

I suppose that could be debatable lol, but yes, it's real.

SPOTLESS SUN RECORDS C 3.5 FLARE!

....and then the x-ray detector disappeared. WTF?

Make that a C5.4... the biggest flare in many days.

[link to www.swpc.noaa.gov (secure)]

Bright ejecta seen near the SE limb by SDO:

[link to sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov (secure)]

C 5.5 flare from far side sunspot! May have been an X-flare.....

SolarDemon movie:

[link to wwwbis.sidc.be (secure)]

New sunspot still at least 2 days away from Earth's view!!

STEREO Ahead image:

[link to stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov (secure)]

This one could be a monster spot.....

one THYME BABY! UH.

We went from the highest SS# of 124 to ZERO in less than a week!

The RED line in graph:

[link to www.solen.info]

Get ready for the rebound.

SDO 24-hr movie (watch the SE limb):

[link to sdodata.oma.be]

Last Edited by Helios Maximus on 09/17/2021 03:09 AM

So far I'm the only one to correctly peg the flare as a C5.55 (per GOES-17 data). The GOES-16 entered eclipse while the x-rays were still rising (C3^^).

Solarsoft cutout view shows 200 image movie of powerful CME and shockwave:

[link to sdowww.lmsal.com (secure)]

CACTus diagnostic clocks CME faster than 1900 Km/s!

[link to wwwbis.sidc.be (secure)]


Details and graphs for CME0022

# CME | t0 | dt0| pa | da | v | dv | minv| maxv| halo?
0022|2021/09/17 04:28| 01 | 110| 110| 1237| 0585| 0239| 1949| II

Cactus CME list:
[link to wwwbis.sidc.be (secure)]



Last Edited by Helios Maximus on 09/17/2021 12:56 PM

SoHO C2 coronagraph image of fast CME:

[link to soho.nascom.nasa.gov (secure)]

C2 Latest Images:

[link to sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov (secure)]

It's very rare for a CME to appear beyond the coronagraph's occulting disk in less than 1 hour. Apparently, the CME initiated before the powerful flare kicked it into high gear. You can see this in the x-ray flux, too.

[link to www.swpc.noaa.gov (secure)]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTTP2
Serial Number: 1099
Issue Time: 2021 Sep 17 0455 UTC

ALERT: Type II Radio Emission
Begin Time: 2021 Sep 17 0417 UTC
Estimated Velocity: 582 km/s

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation

Description: Type II emissions occur in association with eruptions on the sun and typically indicate a coronal mass ejection is associated with a flare event.

G1 Geomagnetic Storm. K=5

Kp Index:
[link to www.swpc.noaa.gov (secure)]

GOES Magnetometer:
[link to www.swpc.noaa.gov (secure)]

Solar wind stream associated with the filament CME. The Bz dipped South to -14 for a brief time but has since rebounded North.

Realtime Solar Wind plots:

[link to www.swpc.noaa.gov (secure)]

GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are underway on Sept. 17th as Earth passes through the wake of a CME (described below) that struck earlier in the day. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after local nightfall.

THE AFTERGLOW OF A 'WEAK' CME: A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 17th at ~0200 UT. The impact was very weak, lifting the solar wind speed by a measly 40 km/s. Despite such a feeble blow, the CME managed to stir geomagnetic activity hours later when Earth encountered magnetic fields in the CME's wake. Marketa Murray sends this picture from Fairbanks, Alaska:

https://imgur.com/H9szpWf

[link to www.spaceweather.com (secure)]

https://twitter.com/_/status/1438960074240794626

Thanks for all of the updates Hugh! :)