AR11620 - Sunspot Genesis 27th November

 

 

As northern winter approaches opportunities for solar observing are incredibly few and far between for me with the low angle of the sun in the sky and also and artificially high urban horizon of rooftops.  However from NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory orbitting high above Earth such constraints do not apply.  This movie shows new active region AR11620 developing over a period of 48 hours to be over twice the size of Earth.  Solar observers should keep a close eye on the spot as it approaches the limb as it harbours a 'beta - gamma' magnetic field with NOAA forecasters estimating a 35% chance of an M-Class solar flares.  Any blast would not be geo-effective as is not directly Earth directed however could produce an impressive fast moving prominence as the CME erupted.