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By Cary Oler - Asteroalert News
The huge naked
eye sunspot group that produced one of the largest solar x-ray
flares in recorded history on 02 April reappeared around the east
limb of the Sun on 18/19 April as a less complex, but still respectable
sunspot group capable of producing additional major solar flares.
In addition, an observation made by Michal Svenda of the Czech
Republic (http://apo.astronomy.cz) indicates that the sunspot
group is once again visible to the naked eye.
Michal made
his observation on 23 April and could discern both the leader
and trailer spots with the protected naked eye.
This sunspot
group (now known as NOAA sunspot region 9433) is beginning to
cross the central meridian of the Sun and is very well placed
for observing with the protected naked eye. Please make certain
you do not look at the Sun directly. Doing so can permanently
damage your eyes. Use an appropriate certified filter or a safe
projection technique. Alternatively, users wishing to see activity
on the Sun in real-time may access http://www.spacew.com/sunnow.
Images provided there are automatically updated every minute (when
new imagery from observatories are available) and regularly processed
into MPEG movies several times a day.
Analysis
of this sunspot complex shows that there is potential for this
region to produce major solar flares. Renewed growth has been
observed over the last 24 hours. It still retains sufficient magnetic
complexity to spawn potential major x-ray flares. There is also
a notable chance of a proton flare from this region.
At the time
of this writing, there are no known Earthward directed coronal
mass ejections. However, this could change at any time should
a major solar flare erupt from sunspot Region 9433. Aurora observers
are encouraged to keep a close eye on conditions over the next
week. Region 9433 is in an ideal location for producing Earthward-directed
coronal mass ejections.
As a side-note
and of potential interest to fellow aurora photographers, a series
of outstanding images of the auroral storm of 11 April were captured
on film by Ulrich Rieth (http://www.ulrich-rieth.de).
Click on the "Aurora 2001" link and select the bottom
link below the bar graph at the bottom for the 11 April images.
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