Here are today’s solar images taken from Al Sadeem Observatory, October 21, 2017.
The sky was clear but experienced intermittent light to moderate winds, making the seeing and transparency average to poor at the time these images were taken.
Solar activity reached moderate levels as a previously designated sunspot group reappeared into Earth-view. AR2685 (formerly AR2673 and AR2682), seen at the Sun’s southeastern limb produced a low-level M-class flare over the past 24 hours. The large hedgerow prominence at the northeastern limb and the huge filament at the central section of the Sun’s disk were still clearly defined as captured in H-alpha imagery. The latest sunspot number (based on visual count and Wolf number calculation) is 11.
Space weather agencies* forecast relatively low to moderate solar activity with chances of continual flaring activity ranging from C-class to possible M-class flares primarily from AR2685. 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.
*Technical reports courtesy of Solar Influence Data Center (SIDC), NOAA-Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA-SWPC)
