Solar Update / Sunspots 1089 + 1092 (July 28)

[Richard]

A new sunspot now numbered 1092 rotated into view Wednesday. It is currently a simple sunspot with a small chance for a C-Class flare. Sunspot 1089 located in the southern hemisphere, continues to produce the odd C-Class flare. This region is rotating towards the western limb of the sun. There will continue to be a chance for C-Class flares and perhaps a lower chance for an M-Class event.

http://www.solarcycle24.com/index.htm

[Emmanuel]

http://www.spaceweather.com/
Where is Bashi? We need you

[Helvetic]

Spaceweather.com
Spaceweather also connects this to the magnetic filament.

COMPLEX ERUPTION ON THE SUN: This morning around 0855 UT, Earth orbiting satellites detected a C3-class solar flare. The origin of the blast was sunspot 1092. At about the same time, an enormous magnetic filament stretching across the sun's northern hemisphere erupted.

The timing of these events suggest they are connected, and a review of SDO movies strengthens that conclusion. Despite the ~400,000 km distance between them, the sunspot and filament seem to erupt together; they are probably connected by long-range magnetic fields. In this movie (171 Å), a shadowy shock wave (a "solar tsunami") can be seen emerging from the flare site and rippling across the northern hemisphere into the filament's eruption zone. That may have helped propel the filament into space.

In short, we have just witnessed a complex global eruption involving almost the entire Earth-facing side of the sun.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by the event is heading directly for Earth: SOHO movie. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras when it arrives on or about August 3rd.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Scott]

Solar Observatory

http://2012info.ca/EarthWatch/Solar_Observatory.php

A long duration C3.2 flare took place around Sunspot 1092 on Sunday. In the latest Lasco C3 movie you can see an earth directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). There will be a chance for Geomagnetic Storming within 48-72 hours. more to follow. Sunspot 1089 has rotated out of direct earth view and onto the western limb. Currently Sunspot 1092 is the only visible region on the face of the sun. There is a chance for C-Class flares. The latest STEREO Behind images show a pair of active regions that could be sunspots. They will rotate into view on the eastern limb in the upcoming week.