SUNSPOT MONITORING – SEPTEMBR 13, 2021

Here are today’s solar images taken from Al Sadeem Observatory, September 13, 2021.

The sky was mostly clear with moderate breeze which provided good transparency but average seeing at the time these images were taken.

A further decrease in solar activity was observed over the past 48 hours with only 2 active regions currently visible. Continuous gradual structural decay was observed in sunspot groups AR2866 (Dai/beta) and AR2868 (Dao/beta) while approaching the SW limb. Flaring activity recorded only reached weak levels less than C-class throughout the monitoring period. The latest sunspot number (based on visual count and Wolf number calculation) is 31. 

Other solar features observed were disintegrating plages associated with the upper-mentioned sunspot groups, and several small quiescent prominences at the limbs, as distinctively captured in H-alpha imagery.

Space weather agencies* expect a further decline in solar activity with the likelihood of flaring activities not exceeding C-class levels in the next few days, mainly from the departing sunspot groups AR2866 and AR2868. Close monitoring is being conducted by numerous space weather agencies for any significant development.

Equipment used are Skywatcher 120mm refractor telescope with Baader filter and unmodified Canon EOS 1D Mark IV DSLR camera for visible imagery. For H-alpha imagery, the equipment used are Lunt 60mm H-alpha solar telescope, and QHYCCD 290III mono camera; all mounted on Skywatcher EQ6 pro mount Pre-processing of visible solar images was performed in PIPP, stacking in Autostakkert, slight wavelet adjustments in Registax 6, and post-processing in Adobe Photoshop CC.


*TECHNICAL REPORTS COURTESY OF SOLAR INFLUENCE DATA CENTER (SIDC), NOAA-SPACE WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER (NOAA-SWPC)

Weather Data (5:00 PM – 5:30 PM, September 13, 2021, from NCM Al Wathba Station):

Average Temperature: 39.6°C

Average Humidity: 34.67%

Average Wind Speed and Direction: 23.63 kph from NNW

Average Cloud Cover: 0%

Average Air Pressure: 998.67 hPa

Average Solar Radiation: 135.67 W/m^2

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