Solar and Aurora Activity Chat

[Mondy]

SFI (Solar Flux Index) up to 76 :-)

[Anti-Mild]

Sunspot number all the way up to 31!!

Out of interest I'd like to know when the last time was that the sun had 2 sunspots showing on it at the same time.

[Red Raven]

From http://www.solarcycle24.com/

Sunspot 1026 has been quiet and is starting to lose some sunspot area. It now consists of a single sunspot. There has been no flare activity since Tuesday evening except for a tiny B1 micro belch.

Sunspot 1027 which formed early Tuesday in the northern hemisphere is stable and is a BETA sunspot group. It has stopped growing and remains about the same size.

There will be a chance for B-Class solar flares within the next 24 hours. The solar flux at 1700 UTC was 76.2 which is another record for Cycle 24, beating the previous record of 75 set yesterday. The Sunspot number for Wednesday was 31. That is also a new Cycle 24 record.

This is the first time since about 3 months ago that 2 sunspots have appeared at the same time - and they are quite a bit bigger.

[OldGreggsTundraBoy]

wow solar flux up to 76 and SSN up to 31!! the highest i have ever seen! [in my short little life so far]!

this is like the sc24 equivalent of an X10 class flare - the kind of activity you only see very rarely.

I think todays the peak, 1026 is fading, and 1027 is stable, and no spots of the farside so todays the top i'd say!

Sunspot number all the way up to 31!!

Out of interest I'd like to know when the last time was that the sun had 2 sunspots showing on it at the same time.

A couple of months ago [beginning of July i think], but they weren't as big.

[Mondy]

Interesting little site I was recently passed on. Neat in its presentation - tells you what you want to see: http://www.solen.info/solar/index.html

[frogesque]

Interesting little site I was recently passed on. Neat in its presentation - tells you what you want to see: http://www.solen.info/solar/index.html

Nice link Mondy, does what it says on the tin!

[Fozfoster]

Interesting little site I was recently passed on. Neat in its presentation - tells you what you want to see: http://www.solen.info/solar/index.html

Good one , even i can understand some of it cheers

[Mondy]

Sunspot count stands at 32 and we even had a C-flare.

[MR EXTREMES]

notice solar flux dropped to 72 if this stays above 67 then id say theres a slow upturn on solar activity,

but if it drops below going back to what its been at through the summer months then it could be likely where have another prolonged spotless spell,

but then anything is possible in this cycle but its intresting stuff.

i just wondered spot count is 32 is this high or is this considered low ?

cheers.

[OldGreggsTundraBoy]

notice solar flux dropped to 72 if this stays above 67 then id say theres a slow upturn on solar activity,

but if it drops below going back to what its been at through the summer months then it could be likely where have another prolonged spotless spell,

but then anything is possible in this cycle but its intresting stuff.

i just wondered spot count is 32 is this high or is this considered low ?

cheers.

I agree, watch to see if the solar flux drops back to 67 or stays at 70+ for indication.

32 is high for the last couple of years, but at recent solar maxs a day with 200+ would be a high day.. 100-200 would be more or less average day.

[MR EXTREMES]

I agree, watch to see if the solar flux drops back to 67 or stays at 70+ for indication.

32 is high for the last couple of years, but at recent solar maxs a day with 200+ would be a high day.. 100-200 would be more or less average day.

cheers for the info OGTB.

solar flux 72 sunspot count is coming down to 25.

[SteveB]

Well things are starting to look quieter on the urface of the sun.

Sunspot 1026 has gone.

Sunspots 1027 are mear specs.

Solar flux is dropping. currently 67.3.

I would say the sun will be void of spots by mid week (hopefully).

But more seem to be forming on the stereo behind

Edited September 27, 2009 by SteveB

[Mondy]

Hi Steve. Yes, things slowly quieting down now as expected.

Not sure where you got the solarflux reading from, but it's currently 72 and has been for past 3 days .

If it drops to 67 again or even 69, this will stump a few people as the flux should be rising ever so slowly now that SC24 is underway.

I note on SC24 website, Leif Svalgaard mentions that "general opinion at a meeting of solar physicists he attended concluded solar minimum was a year ago".

[SteveB]

Hi Steve. Yes, things slowly quieting down now as expected.

Not sure where you got the solarflux reading from, but it's currently 72 and has been for past 3 days .

If it drops to 67 again or even 69, this will stump a few people as the flux should be rising ever so slowly now that SC24 is underway.

I note on SC24 website, Leif Svalgaard mentions that "general opinion at a meeting of solar physicists he attended concluded solar minimum was a year ago".

Reading it properly, 67 is the average for August. Yes you are right in that it is currently 72.

Yeah I was reading that about solar min being a year ago. So what does that mean for the here and now. Seems like we are lower than we were a year ago???.

[MR EXTREMES]

Hi Steve. Yes, things slowly quieting down now as expected.

Not sure where you got the solarflux reading from, but it's currently 72 and has been for past 3 days .

If it drops to 67 again or even 69, this will stump a few people as the flux should be rising ever so slowly now that SC24 is underway.

I note on SC24 website, Leif Svalgaard mentions that "general opinion at a meeting of solar physicists he attended concluded solar minimum was a year ago".

yeah strange seems this year has been even more minimum.

and yes solar flux is still 72 this could be the start of the upturn most likely take awhile but be intresting how much it picks up.

[Typhoon John]

The date of solar minimum will always be an estimate because it depends on what method you use to measure. This is especially true for a minimum such as this one which is unusually quiet. I would look at the minimum as being the point of lowest solar flux (adjusted of course) which would put the minimum around the turn of the year. This would also be reasonably close to the date of the lowest Smoothed Sunspot Number.

ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov/STP/SOLAR_DATA/SUNSPOT_NUMBERS/SMOOTHED

As you can see December 2008 came in at 1.7 which is likely to be the lowest point considering the recent higher activity. If you look at page 5 of the PDF from Leif's website below it shows a plot of the solar flux.

http://www.leif.org/research/Most%20Recent%20IMF,%20SW,%20and%20Solar%20Data.pdf

It's difficult to see the lowest point but again it's around December 2008. And just eye-balling the graph with December 2008 in mind as the minimum the latest spike in activity is actually too low to mirror the downslope from SC23. Hopefully this will show that the recent activity is very much expected, and still in line with solar minimum behaviour.

[MR EXTREMES]

looks like the deepest part of the minimum is over solar flux is rising again upto 73 again coronal holes.

so more spots look very likely in the next couple of days.

[Mondy]

ftp://ftp.ngdc.noaa....UMBERS/SMOOTHED

As you can see December 2008 came in at 1.7 which is likely to be the lowest point considering the recent higher activity. If you look at page 5 of the PDF from Leif's website below it shows a plot of the solar flux.

Good link.

Yes, SFI is at 73. A-index at 11 due the coronal hole, and that's about it!

[MR EXTREMES]

how about this for intresting and remember this is nasa aswell and some talk about cosmic rays so this is intresting.

sorry remember this is record high aswell intresting stuff.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/29sep_cosmicrays.htm

Edited September 30, 2009 by badboy657

[jethro]

With the Earth's magnetic field in decline too it could all get rather interesting; if Svensmark is any where near being right, it could get rather

[SteveB]

The sun is now void of sunspots.

1 day and counting.

http://www.solarcycle24.com/index2.htm

Edited October 2, 2009 by SteveB

[SteveB]

Solarcycle24 changed their count back to zero days.

But the sun is still blank, so hopefully the count can begin.

[SteveB]

The sun is currently blank of sunspots.

1 day and counting.

http://www.solarcycle24.com/index2.htm

[BARRY]

The sun is currently blank of sunspots.

1 day and counting.

http://www.solarcycle24.com/index2.htm

so will be at least 10 days now or more what do you think

[SteveB]

so will be at least 10 days now or more what do you think

Yeah there doesn't look like there is much activity. Stereo behind is showing fairly quiet conditions.

Maybe another long run of blank days on the cards. It would be nice to get to 300, but that is a tall order. It would have to be blank for 87 out of the remaining 89 days of the year.

Last years total is more achievable 266 days.