Marching Spots Anniversary (October 28, 2004)
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While there is no fair comparison to the numerous large sunspots we
observed exactly one year ago, the Sun once again (Oct. 27, 2004) is
presenting a scattering of many sunspots, more than have been observed
in recent months. One sunspot group (Active Region 691) has a twisting
of magnetic field lines that suggest the possibility of strong solar
flares, while another (Active Region 687) the largest group, has the
potential to produce moderate solar flares. Last year, for the period October 23 to November 5, 2003, the Sun produced numerous coronal mass ejections and over a dozen X-class flares (the strongest kind), one of which was the largest X-ray flare ever recorded (see URL for Weekly Pick on Nov 6). So stay tuned this week we may see some real fireworks yet!
SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display. If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to steele.hill@gsfc.nasa.gov. |
