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Hinode (Sunrise), a project to study the Sun, is exploring
the magnetic fields of the Sun, and is improving our understanding of the mechanisms that power the solar atmosphere and drive solar eruptions.
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August 9 , 2011: X-Class Flare
See STEREO for a preview of upcoming active regions.
IF YOU SEE NO IMAGE BELOW, BE CERTAIN JAVASCRIPT IS ENABLED ON YOUR BROWSER.
To pause the slide show, move your cursor over an image. |
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In the image above, Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) zoomed in on
AR 11263 on August 4, 2011, five days before the active region produced
the largest flare of this cycle, an X6.9. We show images from August 4,
because AR11263 was was close to the limb (edge) of the Sun
(not easily visible to Hinode) on August 9 when the flare occurred.
To find out more on the flare classification system,
click here.
| X-Class Flares of Cycle 24 |
| Date | Flare Class | Active Region |
| 8 Mar 2012 | X5.4 | 11429 |
| 5 Mar 2012 | X1.1 | 11429 |
| 3 Nov 2011 | X1.9 | 11339 |
| 24 Sep 2011 | X1.9 | 11302 |
| 22 Sep 2011 | X1.4 | No apparent association with numbered region |
| 6 Sep 2011 | X2.1 | 11283 |
| 9 Aug 2011 | X6.9 | 11263 |
| 15 Feb 2011 | X2.2 | 11158 |
For more information about the the solar cycle and to see the
latest predictions,
see David Hathaway's Solar Cycle Prediction page. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) are also keeping track of the solar cycle. See Solar Cycle Progression for plots of sunspot number (and predictions), 10.7 cm radio flux, and Ap. For details on flux-transpot dynamo-based predictions, see the paper by Mausumi Dikpati, Giuliana de Toma, and Peter Gilman.
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Regarding the magnetic configuration of sunspots: Active
regions in the northern hemisphere of the Sun that appear with negative polarity leading (toward the west), are a part of the new sunspot cycle of the Sun, cycle 24. (Click Sunspot Cycle for more information.)
New cycle spots in the southern hemisphere will appear with positive polarity on the western (right) side of the sunspot. On May 5, AR 10993, new cycle sunspots made an appearance in the southern hemisphere, where positive polarity leads. Compare AR10999 with the southern hemisphere new cycle spot of 6 May, 2008.
Regarding quiet-sun conditions: After December 10, 2009, X-ray flux began to increase. Prior to that, it was less than 10-6 Watts/m2,
(B- or A-class flares) since March 25, 2008. (See also
GOES X rays on Solar Monitor).
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Click HERE for an animated gif movie showing ten days of solar (in)activity. Before September 22, the last numbered active region appeared on July 21 (AR 11000). Between June 11 - July 21, 2008, there were only two numbered active regions (AR 10999 on 06/27 and AR 10998 on 06/11). See the Solar Monitor or NOAA's Solar Region Summary Reports for more information.
Click HERE for an animated gif movie compiled from X-ray images spanning the period June 24 to July 8, 2008. The loops close to the equator on June 24-26 (to the right of the central meridian) are from old-cycle spots, NOAA active region 10999 (AR 10999). The Sun produced one B-class flare in the time period May 17 - July 11 (as seen by GOES ). For an explanation of flare classes, go to Space Weather's Classification of X-ray Solar Flares.
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