SUNSPOT MONITORING – MAY 24, 2021

Here are today’s solar images taken from Al Sadeem Observatory, May 24, 2021.

The sky was slightly hazy with moderate breeze which provided average transparency and seeing at the time these images were taken. 

Solar activity increased to moderate levels and went back to low levels over the past 72 hours. The larger sunspot group AR2824 (Modified Zurich/Mcintosh sunspot configuration: Csi/beta-gamma) exhibited further growth on its leader spot and produced multiple B-class and isolated C-class solar flares and even minor Earth-directed CMEs over the past few days. Meanwhile, AR2825 (Axx/alpha) situated near the NE limb remains stable and quiet. Another enhanced region of small pores is seen popping out AR2824 (encircled; unnumbered). The latest sunspot number (based on visual count and Wolf number calculation) is 27.

Enhanced plages associated with the upper-mentioned sunspot groups, few faint small quiescent prominences at the limbs, and some short stable mound filaments near the Sun’s meridian along the northern hemisphere were the other noteworthy solar features distinctively captured in H-alpha imagery.

Space weather agencies* forecast solar activity to be at low levels with chances of solar flares of mostly B-class to C-class intensity, mainly from AR2824 in the next few days. 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 (5:20 PM – 5:40 PM, May 24, 2021, from NCM Al Wathba Station):

Average Temperature: 45.17°C

Average Humidity: 8.33%

Average Wind Speed and Direction: 14.63 kph from NNW

Average Cloud Cover: 0% (slight haze)

Average Air Pressure: 993.63 hPa

Average Solar Radiation: 177.33 W/m^2

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