As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

[Maria]

There is not much change in these two active sunspots per NOAA.

The plots show some recent B flaring on October 25 with active B-flaring going on at present.
An analysis by NOAA will be needed as it may be a filament rupture (hyder flare) instead of a B-class solar flare.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/goes-x-ray-flux

http://legacy-www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/ ... 022SRS.txt

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary
SRS Number 299 Issued at 0030Z on 26 Oct 2017
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 25 Oct
I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 25/2400Z
Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type
2685 S09E17 132 0050 Hsx 02 02 Alpha
2686 N12E39 110 0020 Hsx 01 02 Alpha

[Maria]

Both active regions are simple alpha structures and are not actively flaring above B levels.
Former monster active region 2673 (now returned a third time as AR2685) has decayed somewhat.
We have been experiencing high solar winds which brings lovely auroras to the pole areas.

From the Royal Observatory at Belgium:

Quiet solar conditions were reported with the X-ray flux seeing
only a low B2 class flare peaking at 23:59UT from Catania group 61 (NOAA
region 2686).
Both active regions on disk are relatively simple (Mag.Type: Alpha) and
small. Especially Catania group 60 (NOAA region 2685) shrunk in size.
The X-ray flux is expected to remain below C level.
Proton flux levels were at background values and are expected to remain so.
No Earth directed CME's were recorded in coronagraph data.

Solar wind speed saw peaks of close to 650 km/s before starting a gradual
decline towards values of near 560km/s presently. Total magnetic field was
mainly in the 4-6.5 nT range with Bz variable but predominantly negative in
the last 6 hours with values down to -6.3 nT.
The present influence of the coronal hole high speed stream will gradually
fade and speeds should decline over the next 24-48 hours.
Geomagnetic conditions were quiet to active (local K Dourbes 1-4 and NOAA
Kp 2-4).
Geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain quiet to active for the next
24 hours and quiet to unsettled afterwards as the coronal hole high speed
stream fades.
TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN : 024, BASED ON 16 STATIONS.

[Maria]

The two small active areas are both tiny alphas that have decayed significantly.

Although the sun has not been actively flaring (very few low B class flares), there have been coronal holes through which solar winds have been bathing the earth with a show of spectacular auroras.

Taking advantage of the display of auroras and possibly disguising the Russian War Games, the photo below might look like an aurora, but is most likely the result of the Russians. See http://www.spaceweather.com

"It was totally blue," says Wright, a veteran aurora tour guide who has witnessed hundreds of geomagnetic storms. "I've never seen anything quite like it!" In Tromso, Norway, Daniel Drelciuc saw it, too--"a big blue mass next to the classic green aurora," he says.

In auroras, blue is a sign of nitrogen. Energetic particles striking ionized molecular nitrogen (N2+) at very high altitudes can produce a cold azure glow, most often seen during intense geomagnetic storms. On Oct. 26th, however, geomagnetic activity was not intense.

Maybe these weren't auroras, after all. Another theory is emerging for the blue apparition. On Oct. 26th, the Russian military staged a nuclear battle drill and test-launched a number of ballistic missiles from land, sea and air. At least one of them created a magnificent cloud of blue exhaust. Alexey Yakovlev photographed the display from Strezhevoy, Russia:

[Maria]

Daily comment from the Royal Observatory at Belgium

When checking the daily sunspot average number for this month, it appears as if this will be the lowest month so far in the solar minimum. The average today is around 14, but with Belgium's expected adjustments it might be as high as 15 or 16.

COMMENT: No C-class flares in past 24 h. Both active regions on disk are
relatively simple (Mag.Type: Alpha) and quiet. The X-ray flux is expected
to remain below C level.

No Earth directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have been detected. Solar
protons have remained at background levels over the past 24 h.

Geomagnetic conditions have been quiet (k = 1-2). Solar wind speed is now
at 310 km/s with interplanetary magnetic fields of 3 nT. A high speed solar
wind stream from a negative polarity low latitude coronal hole (southern
hemisphere) is expected to arrive in about 48 h. Geomagnetic conditions are
expected to be quiet until then, and reach active to minor storm levels
after. There is a small and weak low latitude coronal hole north of the
equator, its associated fast solar wind stream may arrive earlier, although
this is not likely.

[Maria]

Since it is the first of the month, I will display the before and after Daily Sunspot plots generated at Belgium.
Looking at the top plot, the one generated November 1, 2017, one sees that the sunspot numbers have been lowered, with the exception of two spotless days removed for a total of 11 spotless days instead of 13, so that the estimated average sunspot number for October 2017 will be around 13.5, which is the lowest month of this current solar minimum.

[Maria]

Below is the International Sunspot Numbers for the last 13 years, which now includes October 2017.

Edit: The monthly mean provided by Belgium is 13.2. This is the lowest mean for this new solar minimum (solar cycle 25).

[Maria]

The far side of the sun has been flaring for quite a while.
I first noticed flaring at 1924 UT, more than one hour ago.
That flaring was much larger.

And here it is 2036 UT, and it is still flaring.

No notice yet from NASA as to the strength, but it could be an M or X-class solar flare.
This could be from the former alpha AR 2686 that decayed into a plage, and then rotated recently over to the far side.
However, most likely, this is a new active area as it seems to be located further north than AR2686.