Keith Strong@drkstrong·4h

CME WATCH - 2023.05.11: Some missing data but lots to see nonetheless. It starts with a series of CMEs off the W limb yesterday. A quick one of the NE. Then there is a classic bubble CME off the N. polar region almost simultaneous with another two to the W.

4h

DRAMATIC ERUPTION ON THE SUN: At about 06:00 UT this morning a prominence near the northern solar polar became unstable and erupted. It seemed like a whip being cracked. Note its huge size wrt the Earth (inset), also a lot of infalling material after the eruption.

4h

THE SAME AGAIN BUT ON THE NW LIMB: A very similar event (see last tweet) happened on the NW at about 02:00 UT. Note the similarities including the infalling material.

20h

CME WATCH - 2023.04.12: Sorry no "SUN TODAY" this morning - computer problems. Also lots of missing data from LASCO but there is a tantalizing eruption off the west (right) limb right at the end. Probably associated with the LDE C9 flare earlier.

20h

SPECTACULAR EXPLOSION ON THE SUN: Sunspot region AR3296 is just setting behind the west limb, as a parting shot it gave off this huge, beautiful eruption.  It almost looks like it is in two stages, an initial loop which does not quite make it and then it gets hit with a huge jet.

20h

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: The same event and wavelength - different instrument. It has a much larger field of view. Note how far above the limb the surge goes - at least 150,000 km!

Keith Strong@drkstrong 20h

THE SUN TODAY: NASA ONCE again failing to provide any new data for the last 2 days, so it is anybody's guess as to what is happening. We just had a C7 flare from the NW limb (see NOAA GOES SUVI 94A image). The SSN has risen to about 140 but their total area has dropped to 750 mil

3h

CME WATCH - 2023.05.14: Unusually quiet. Just one minor CME off the west limb, otherwise there seem to be a large amount of outflows. Note how the bright streamer in the NE just seems to dissipate.

2h
THE SUN TODAY: NASA data back on! But everything quiet.

1) SSN down to 115; area 390 mil.

2) Lone C7 flare yesterday and that was from behind the west limb (so was probably >M1).

3) Nothing new due back in the next day.

4) A new region emerging in the SE

5) Just 2 CMEs yesterday.

Keith Strong@drkstrong·12h

THE SUN TODAY: Getting very quiet - the quiet before the storm?

1) SSN 95; area 330 mil.

2) No significant flares (>C5) yesterday.

3) Helioseismology reveals nine large areas of magnetic activity on the far side of the Sun.

4) One newly numbered NOAA region, AR3207.

5) Four CMEs.

5h
New Region coming over the SE limb - looks active but we have been fooled before ... stay tuned! Image: SDO AIA 335A; temperature about 3 MK.

Keith Strong@drkstrong·9h

THE SUN TODAY:  Getting Active!

1) SSN and area both up to 105 and 470 resp.

2) Six high-level C flares and a double M flare - all from the new region in the NE (white).

3) Still more to come over the E limb.

4) Newly NOAA numbered region, AR3310, in the SE.

5) 8 CMEs yesterday.

7h
FIVE MAJOR FLARES IN JUST SIX HOURS: We have just had 5 M flares in less than 6 hours from the new sunspot region on the northeast limb of the Sun (see earlier tweet). Every time I have tried to post this a new M flare has occurred, so expect more - perhaps even an X flare?

5h
SOLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS ARE COMPLEX! This image has the surface magnetic fields extrapolated up into the corona. Dark lines are open fields, but most are magnetic loops connect opposite signed fields. Note how many cross the equator contributing to the evolution of solar cycle 25.

Keith Strong
@drkstrong
·
9h
THE SUN TODAY: Busy Day!

1) SSN up to 135; area 575 mil.

2) A host of M flares & high C flares - all basically from sunspot region AR3311 in the NE.

3) Still more coming over the E limb.

4) 5 new regions emerged near the east limb (white). Some interesting prominences.

5) 6 CMEs.

4h

CME WATCH - 2023.05.19: Oddly still a lot of activity from the west limb initially although all the flaring activity has been from the east. Eventually we get a couple of weak CMEs from the NE.

7h

BIG FLARE - ONCE AGAIN NO NASA DATA:  We just had another big M flare (M6) from sunspot region AR3311 in the NE. No SDO available at weekends. Fortunately, we have some low-resolution data from NOAA GOES to confirm its origin, else we would be blind. Cutting corners for a few $s.

Keith Strong@drkstrong·8h

THE SUN TODAY: Still no SDO data!

1) SSN @ 135; area @ 1150 mil.

2) Five M flares in the last day all from the AR3311 complex.

3) No new major [regions] coming over the E. Limb.

4) About to lose the AR3305 complex over the W limb, 3 new regions emerged (white).

5) 6 CMEs yesterday.

4h

CME WATCH - 2023.05.21: The bright streamer in the SE is just continuously popping of faint CMEs but then there is a more substantial one off the west limb starting right at the end of the sequence.

19h

CORONAL HOLE ALERT: There are two coronal holes just east of the central meridian of the Sun at the moment. They will move into the western hemisphere in the next couple of days & could pose a threat of a geomagnetic storm from the high-speed solar wind that they constantly emit.

Keith Strong@drkstrong·13h

THE SUN TODAY:

1) SSN @ 135; Area 930 mil.

2) No significant flares (i.e., >C5) in the last day.

3) An active region just behind the NE limb.

4) About to lose AR3308 over NW limb; three new regions emerging (white) - all quite small except the one in the SE.

5) 13 CMEs yesterday.