Here are today’s solar images taken from Al Sadeem Observatory, May 7, 2019.
The sky was clear with intermittent light to moderate winds which provided good transparency but average seeing at the time these images were taken.
There are currently two sunspot groups visible in the Sun. First is the dynamic AR2740 (Modified Zurich/Mcintosh sunspot configuration: Cso/beta-delta) which continues to produce multiple B-class and C-class flaring activity (with C7.3 intensity the most powerful one recorded). The other one, the recently designated AR2741 (Hsx/alpha) was generally inactive, with no significant solar flares associated with it recorded, as it rotated further into Earth-view from the eastern limb. The latest sunspot number (based on visual count and Wolf number calculation) is 27. H-alpha imagery revealed the distinct large sunspot and scattered plages of both sunspot regions, with several quiescent and eruptive prominences at the limbs.
Space weather agencies* expect continuity of further solar activity with chances of solar flares ranging up to B-class to C-class (possibly up to isolated M-class) intensity mainly from both AR2740 and AR2741. The extent of the frequency and intensity of the Sun’s activity will highly depend on the magnetic flux fluctuations happening in the visible ARs in the coming 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 and Lunt H-alpha solar telescope and ZWO120MM CMOS camera for H-alpha imagery, mounted on Skywatcher EQ6 Pro. 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 (5:15 PM – 5:35 PM, May 7, 2019):
Average Temperature: 35.8°C
Average Humidity: 14%
Average Wind Speed and Direction: 24.5 kph from NNW
Average Cloud Cover: 0%
Average Air Pressure: 995 hpa
Average Solar Radiation: 161.28 W/m^2
Average UV Radiation: 246 µW/m^2 (low)
