As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

[Maria]

Two more M-Class Solar Flares just struck us today on July 23, 2016. These solar flares formed what I call a Hail Mary (M shaped double flare). Both were impulsive flares. SO within three hours today, we have had three M-Class Impulsive Solar Flares.

At 0516 UT, we had an M7.6

At 0531 UT, we had an M5.5

Earlier today at 0211 UT, we had an M5.0

STRONGEST FLARE OF 2016: Departing sunspot complex AR2565-AR2567 erupted on July 23rd, twice, producing two strong solar flares in quick succession. The first @ 0211 UT registered M5 on the Richter Scale of Flares. The second @ 0516 UT registered M7.6, making it the strongest flare of 2016 so far. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the flare's extreme ultraviolet flash.

To see the videos of this extreme ultraviolet flash and the black-out maps, go to http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php ... &year=2016

[Maria]

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar ... nt-reports

July 23, 2016 events

#Event Begin Max End Obs Q Type Loc/Frq Particulars Reg#
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5430 + 0146 0211 0223 G15 5 XRA 1-8A M5.0 5.4 E-02 2567

5440 + 0338 0342 0345 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C1.4 3.7 E-04 2567

5450 + 0500 0516 0524 G15 5 XRA 1-8A M7.6 4.6 E-02 2567

5470 + 0527 0531 0533 G15 5 XRA 1-8A M5.5 1.1 E-02 2567

And here is a video showing the flares

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/d-reg ... ions-d-rap

View the current warnings at http://services.swpc.noaa.gov/images/no ... meline.png

[Maria]

We had an M class solar flare today at 1444 UT (7:44 AM PDT)

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar ... nt-reports

Edited Events for 2016 Aug 07

#
#Event Begin Max End Obs Q Type Loc/Frq Particulars Reg#
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6410 0154 0158 0200 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B5.5 1.2E-04 2571

6420 + 0528 0535 0540 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C1.3 6.0E-04 2571

6440 + 1018 1024 1029 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C1.6 6.5E-04

6450 + 1137 1142 1147 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B4.7 2.0E-04

6460 + 1244 1249 1254 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B6.9 3.0E-04

6470 1310 1313 1316 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B5.5 1.2E-04 2571

6480 + 1328 1338 1349 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C2.4 2.1E-03

6490 + 1437 1444 1448 G15 5 XRA 1-8A M1.3 4.6E-03

6520 + 1503 1509 1516 G15 5 XRA 1-8A C8.5 4.3E-03 2573

[Maria]

SUMMERTIME AURORAS: It's not often that a flash of lightning and distant peal of thunder makes you look up and see ... green. Yet that's what happened on the night of Aug.2-3 when auroras backlit a summer thundercloud over Center, Wisconsin. Extreme weather photographer Jeremy Friebel captured the moment:

http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php ... &year=2016

[Maria]

Here is the GOES X-Ray plot for three days showing the M1.3 solar flare we experienced on Sunday 8/7/2016 at 1444 UT (7:44 AM PDT). If you look at this plot, you will see a general upward trend which means we could very easily have another M-class solar flare, and according to NASA, there is a 20 percent chance of another M Class flare.

[Maria]

Below is another plot. This one is the 6 hour plot showing data recorded every minute.

Notice that we are having multiple C flaring, a sign that an M-Flare might be likely based on the size and types of magnetism in the two sunspots present on the sun.

[Maria]

Beautiful Finnish aurora as summer comes to a close and the midnight sun begins to set.