As the Sun Turns: Solar Minimums and Maximums

[Maria]

Below is the latest comment by the Royal Observatory of Belgium:

COMMENT: Solar activity was at very low levels. The two currently visible
sunspot groups are quiet. A small-sized coronal dimming (location: S45E10
at 21UT) was observed following a magnetic reconnection event during the
afternoon of 17 April. No earth-directed coronal mass ejections were
observed over the last 24 hours. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux was at
nominal values.

Solar activity is expected to remain at very low levels.

Solar wind speed gradually decreased from 340 km/s to its current values
near 300 km/s (DSCOVR). Bz varied between -4 and +4 nT, with a positive
stretch from 20UT till 05UT. The interplanetary magnetic field was directed
towards the Sun (negative sector). Quiet geomagnetic conditions were
observed.

Quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected to continue, with a chance on an
unsettled interval on 19-20 April due to anticipated effects from a sector
boundary crossing and from a weak wind stream related to a diffuse
extension of the positive polarity polar coronal hole.

TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN : 027, BASED ON 22 STATIONS.

[Maria]

And here is the latest comment from Belgium's Royal Observatory:

Upshot: B-flaring AR2738 is no longer facing us and has disappeared over the Western Limb.
AR2739 is decaying and poses no threat.

COMMENT: Solar activity was at very low levels. While rounding the west
limb, NOAA 2738 produced 4 B-class flares, the strongest being a B8 flare
peaking at 00:50UT. The lone sunspot group currently visible on the solar
disk, NOAA 2739, was quiet and is decaying. No earth-directed coronal mass
ejections were observed over the last 24 hours. The greater than 10 MeV
proton flux was at nominal values. An equatorial negative polarity coronal
hole (CH) is transiting the central meridian.

Solar activity is expected to remain at very low levels.

Solar wind speed was fairly steady between 300 and 350 km/s (DSCOVR). Bz
varied between -4 and +6 nT. The interplanetary magnetic field was mostly
directed away from the Sun (positive sector) until about 07:00UT, when it
switched back to towards the Sun (negative sector). Geomagnetic conditions
were at quiet levels, with an isolated unsettled interval (14-17UT)
recorded at Dourbes.

Quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected to continue, with a chance on an
unsettled interval.

TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN : 012, BASED ON 26 STATIONS.

[Maria]

After 12 days of a spotless sun, an active region is returning from its trip around the sun.
It has been renamed AR 2740 producing a B3.9 solar flare at 1449 UT (7:49 AM PDT).

Edited Events for 2019 May 03
#
#Event Begin Max End Obs Q Type Loc/Frq Particulars Reg#
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2680 1420 1449 1507 G15 5 XRA 1-8A B3.9 7.1E-04 2740

Reference: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/sola ... nt-reports

Read this comment from Belgium's Royal Observatory:

COMMENT: Solar activity is still low, but the background X-ray flux has
slightly increased due to the active region that is in the course of
rotation to the visible side of the Sun. During last 24 hours one weak
B-class flare was reported. We expect the low level of solar flaring
activity to persist in the coming hours, with B-class flares expected and
C-class flares possible but not very probable. During last 24 hours no
Earth directed CMEs have been observed and the solar protons remained at
background level.
The solar wind speed is about 440 km/s and the interplanetary magnetic
field magnitude presently amounts 4 nT.
Small equatorial coronal hole of negative polarity has reached central
meridian this morning. The associated fast solar wind is expected to arrive
at the Earth on May 6. The geomagnetic conditions are presently quiet to
unsettled (local station at Dourbes and NOAA reported K=3 and Kp=2,
respectively) and we expect them to stay so in the coming hours.

TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN : 000, BASED ON 17 STATIONS.

Reference: http://www.sidc.be/products/meu/

To view this emerging active region, please view:
Since this image is dynamic, I cannot link it here.

https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/la ... 4_0171.jpg

[Maria]

We recently had a solar class C-1.0 from newly returned and renumbered AR2740 on the Eastern limb of the sun.

Maximum 2019-05-03 @ 23:31:00 UTC solar flare C1.0

[Maria]

Source: http://www.spaceweather.com

ACTIVE SUNSPOT: Last month, a big sunspot named "AR2738" crossed the face of the sun, emitting loud shortwave radio bursts and threatening to flare. It's back. The sunspot is returning to view following a 2-week trip around the backside of the sun. Per tradition, it has been re-numbered AR2740 for its second trip across the solar disk.

The returning sunspot announced itself on May 3rd (2331 UT) with a C1-class solar flare and a CME (coronal mass ejection).

[Go to www.spaceweather.com to view the video of the CME.]

The CME is not heading for Earth. The sunspot was pointed almost 90 degrees away from our planet at the time of the explosion. Future CMEs might be more geoeffective. AR2740 is turning toward Earth for a more direct line of fire in the days ahead. Stay tuned.

[Luke]

I t ' s b a c k.

[Maria]

Both active areas are now back: AR2739 has been renumbered as AR2741

COMMENT: NOAA AR 2740 (Catania group 16) continued to produce several
flares. The largest was a C7.3 flare peaking at 13:54UT. The region continues to exhibit
mixed polarity flux and is expected to remain active.

Another region (NOAA AR 2741) rotated on disk from the East.
Further activity is likely at a level of C-class flares.

Coronagraph images show that the CME onset(s) related to yesterdays flaring
activity from region 2740 was directed sufficiently North and East of the
Earth to exclude any possible Earth directed component.
No other Earth directed CME's were recorded.

Solar proton flux levels were at background values and are expected to
remain so.

Solar wind conditions were nominal with solar wind speed under 400 km/s and
total magnetic field under 5 nT. The North-South orientation of the
magnetic field was variable and the phi angle was mostly in the negative
sector.

Solar wind conditions are expected to become slightly enhanced by midnight
under the influence of a small equatorial coronal hole.

Geomagnetic conditions were quiet to unsettled (NOAA Kp 1-2, local K
Dourbes 0-3).
Geomagnetic conditions are expected to become unsettled with a possibility
of an isolated active period.
TODAY'S ESTIMATED ISN : 027, BASED ON 22 STATIONS.

View these sunspot areas at https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/la ... _HMIBC.jpg