The effects of solar variability on Earth’s climate

The effects of solar variability on Earth’s climate

A new report issued by the National Research Council (NRC), “The Effects of Solar Variability on Earth’s Climate,” lays out some of the surprisingly complex ways that solar activity can make itself felt on our planet.The luminosity of our own sun varies a 0.1% over

Low solar activity despite growing Sunspot 1640

Low solar activity despite growing Sunspot 1640

Solar activity has been at low levels for the past 24 hours. The largest solar event  was a C1 flare erupting from Sunspot 1640, observed late on the January 3rd. Sunspot 1640 has developed a ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field that harbors energy

Sunspot 1620 generated M2.2 solar flare

Sunspot 1620 generated M2.2 solar flare

Sunspot 1620 produced M2.2 solar flare with peak at 21:36 UTC on November 28, 2012. Fast growing sunspot AR1620 has a beta-gamma-delta magnetic field that harbors energy for X-class solar flares. M-class activity is also possible from region AR 1618 which has now

Fast growing sunspot AR 1620 harbors energy for strong flares

Fast growing sunspot AR 1620 harbors energy for strong flares

Five sunspot groups were reported today by Catania. Sunspots AR 1618 and AR 1620 have beta-gamma-delta and beta-gamma configurations of their photospheric magnetic field, respectively, and are being closely monitored for further flaring activity. NOAA/SWPC forecasters

Sunspot 1618 facing Earth – Beta-Gamma-Delta magnetic configuration

Sunspot 1618 facing Earth – Beta-Gamma-Delta magnetic configuration

Active Region 1618 keeps evolving and it has now Beta-Gamma-Delta magnetic configuration  that harbors energy for M- and X-class eruptions. It produced an M3.5 flare with peak at 15:30 UTC on November 21, related to a halo CME first seen at 16:12 UTC by SOHO’s LASCO

New fast growing sunspot forming at southeastern limb

New fast growing sunspot forming at southeastern limb

A new sunspot located in the southeast quadrant continues to rapidly grow on Monday morning. Currently this region is not complex and only producing B-Class flares. Continue to monitor this region for further growth. There may soon be a chance for a C-Class flare. The

Earth facing side of Sun without active sunspots

Earth facing side of Sun without active sunspots

The Earth facing side of the Sun is nearly blank today (with the exception of a few very small sunspots). This is yet another example of how weak this current Solar Cycle 24 really is in comparison to the previous cycles during the past 100 years. Hard to believe that

Why Sun won’t forget Calcutta  – solar physicist rates Sun’s memory

Why Sun won’t forget Calcutta – solar physicist rates Sun’s memory

Solar physicist Dibyendu Nandi and PhD student Bidya Binay Karak have shown that the Sun’s memory of its sunspot cycles, long believed to be imprinted in its churning plasma, lasts no longer than five-and-a-half years.Sunspots are regions of strong magnetic fields

New sunspot formation

New sunspot formation

Solar activity is near moderate levels with C-Class flares being detected around a new sunspot that was quickly formed in the southern hemisphere on Tuesday and was numbered 1462.. Another region is forming just to the west of that location and is currently producing

Big Sunspot 1429 still erupting, Sunspots 1445 and 1444 pose a new threat

Big Sunspot 1429 still erupting, Sunspots 1445 and 1444 pose a new threat

In morning of March 24, a near M-Class flare took place around Sunspot 1445 at around 08:50-09:00 UTC. There was a gap in data on the GOES X-Ray Flux graph, however it was picked up on the EVE Diode X-Ray signal. Comparing it to yesterday’s M1.0, it looks like this