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#sunspot — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #sunspot, aggregated by home.social.

  1. It can be hard when you see pictures of sunspots to really grasp their size...which is why I like these kind of visualizations!

    This is video captured by #SDO from July of 2017 -- and we can see the size of earth vs a sunspot!

    How big/small to sunspots get?? Check out our most recent #podcast episode for the answer: starrytimepodcast.podbean.com/

    📹 :starrytimepodcast.podbean.com/

    #sunspot #NASA #Astronomy #astrodon #space #science #SDO #Solar #Sun #gif

  2. ☀️ 30 March 2026 The eruption came from a magnetically complex #sunspot group now rotating further into Earth's view — meaning any continued activity could have more direct impacts ☢️ on Earth and #Artemis 2 space.com/astronomy/sun/powerf

    #RadiationProtection #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceWeather

  3. I know I've shared this one a lot lately, but so help me I just love the energy of this piece, which I've been playing around with a bit; lo, a slightly softer and brighter version of my sci-fi caprice "Reach for the Light" (yes, those are solar sails in silhouette).

    #art #digitalart #digitalpainting #painting #solarsail #spaceflight #scifi #sciencefiction #star #sun #sunspot #spaceart

  4. Oh I'm sure it'd take the mother of all tinted windows to stop it from blinding you, but imagine being on a solar sail, making a fly-by to gain speed to your final destination, and then seeing *this* out your window. The ultimate scenic route, in my own painting, "Reach for the light".

    #art #digitalart #digitalpainting #painting #scifi #scifiart #spaceart #spaceflight #solarsail #spacecraft #sun #star #sunspot

  5. From #SolarHam - Progression of new #Sunspot #AR4366 (not yet Earth-facing, but will be soon):

    "Sunspot Watch
    January 31, 2026 @ 04:15 UTC
    Newly assigned sunspot region 4366 continues to gradually develop as it turns into view in the northeast quadrant. It is currently producing minor C-Class flares and it is likely now a threat for a moderate M-Flare. Something to keep an eye on this weekend. Image by SDO/HMI.

    Growing Flare Threat
    January 31, 2026 @ 14:50 UTC
    AR 4366 continued to expand over the past 12 hours in both size and magnetic complexity. The region has a Beta-Delta magnetic configuration and is producing frequent mid level minor C-Flares. A moderate M-Flare will remain possible on Saturday.

    M6.6 Solar Flare
    February 1, 2026 @ 10:40 UTC
    Solar activity increases even further with an M6.6 solar flare peaking at 10:02 UTC (Feb 1). The source, AR 4366, is magnetically complex and is now a threat for an isolated X-Flare. Image below by SDO/AIA.

    High Solar Activity
    February 1, 2026 @ 16:50 UTC (UPDATED)
    What a difference a few days make on the Sun. Active sunspot region 4366 turned into a firecracker on Sunday with at least fifteen M-Class solar flares and one X-Flare (so far). Despite the brightness of these events, the mechanics have so far failed to launch any noteworthy coronal mass ejections into space and towards our planet. That could change over the next few days as the region continues to develop and currently sports a Beta-Gamma-Delta magnetic configuration. More solar flares including another X-Flare will remain possible.

    [And today...]

    Impulsive X8.1 Solar Flare
    February 2, 2026 @ 00:10 UTC
    An impulsive X8.1 solar flare was just detected peaking at 23:57 UTC (Feb 1). This is the second strongest flare in terms of peak X-Ray flux of the current solar cycle. Although a bright flare, new imagery suggests that if a CME is associated, it will likely be fairly mild. Stay tuned to SolarHam where you will get the most up to date and accurate information regarding this space weather event."

    solarham.com/

    #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #XClassFlares

  6. 🚨 THE WRONG SUNSPOT KEEPS ERUPTING 🚨
    While everyone’s watching monster AR4294–4296, the real action came from AR4299 on Dec. 6, firing an almost X-class M8 flare and launching a CME straight at Earth. A full-halo CME is inbound, with NASA eyeing a Dec. 9th arrival and possible G2–G3 geomagnetic storms. Mid-latitude auroras? On the menu.
    More: spaceweather.com/

    #SolarFlare #SpaceWeather #Aurora #CME #Astronomy #WestportObservatory #Sunspot #SolarActivity #GeomagneticStorm

  7. The #sunspot show goes on: now activity region (1)4274 - which caused a major geostorm last month - has returned onto the disk with the new number (1)4299. And immediately fired off an X1.9 #SolarFlare today: see spaceweatherlive.com/en/news/v and facebook.com/photo/?fbid=12553 for updates of the situation, also regarding the big group (1)4294. This is a crop from an #SDO HMI image - jsoc1.stanford.edu/data/hmi/im - of 18:11 UTC, i.e. exactly an hour ago.

  8. 🌞 GIANT SUNSPOT ALERT! A massive sunspot group—one of the biggest of Solar Cycle 25—is rotating into view. It spans ~130,000 km, and several of its dark cores are larger than Earth, making it an easy target for backyard scopes. It fired an M6 flare on Nov. 28, likely even stronger since it was partly hidden. Now that it’s facing Earth, future flares will be geoeffective. Full story at spaceweather.com

    Photo: Shahrin Ahmad

    #SpaceWeather #Sunspot #SolarCycle25 #SolarActivity #Astronomy

  9. What causes space weather and how does it affect Earth?

    Key Insights This September, the US launched three new missions into space, all of which are designed…
    #NewsBeep #News #Science #Astrochemistry #CA #Canada #cme #coronal #Earth #ejection #flare #Mass #solar #Space #spot #sun #sunspot #Weather
    newsbeep.com/ca/180900/

  10. Six images of the Sun in H-Alpha.
    During that session, the solar limb didn’t show any relevant prominences, so all the data was focused on the active regions.
    Follow the link for the full res images and details.

    localvoid.net/2025/04/13/the-s

    #astronomy #astrophotographpy #sun #halpha #sunspot

  11. Following the O-III and Ca-K images of the Sun, a series of images in H-Alpha light on the first day of the past winter session.

    localvoid.net/2025/03/29/the-s

    #sun #halpha #prominence #sunspot

  12. Two more images from the recording session on 30 august.
    Each image is a mosaic composed by two panels.
    The Ha filter was set up to be off-band around the 656.28 nm wavelength, on the +5 and -5 Å wings allowed by the Combo Quark. In addition, the gain was modified to according to the wavelength shift.

    localvoid.net/2025/02/23/sun-i

    #astronomy #astrophotography #sun #halpha #sunspot

  13. Sun In H-Alpha light (656.23 nm), 26 august 2024. AR 3799 and AR 3800

    astrob.in/29xo34/0/

    telescopius.com/pictures/view/

    Imaging Telescope: TS-Optics Photoline 102mm f/7 FPL53 Triplet Apo

    Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI585MC
    (Exposure: 5 ms. Gain: 235. Bit depth: 8 bit. Sensor temperature: 48.3 °C)

    Mount: Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 PRO

    Filters:
    - DayStar Combo Quark Chromosphere
    - Player One S-Series ERF 1.25"
    - Player One S-Series UV IR-Cut 1.25"

    Accessories:
    - Lacerta 3x Tele Extender
    - GSO 35 mm extension tube

    Software:
    - FireCapture
    - PlanetarySystemStacker (debayer, alignment and stacking)
    - Pixinsight (color curves, deconvolution, multiscale linear transform, fast rotation )
    - Operating system: Debian GNU/Linux 12 "Bookworm"

    #astronomy #astrophotography #sun #halpha #sunspot

  14. The Apache Point Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Sunspot, New Mexico, approximately 18 miles south of Cloudcroft. There are several telescopes gathering data for a variety of stakeholders, including the Sloane Digital Sky Survey.

    #astronomy #roadtrip #travel #daytrip #Cloudcroft #Sunspot #NewMexico

  15. SUNSPOT NUMBERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE: Last month, the average sunspot number exceeded 200 for the first time in 23 years, significantly exceeding official forecasts. The surge could be a harbinger of strong solar activity for years to come. It's also great news for sky watchers as we enter the equinox aurora season. Spaceweather.com has more.

    Image: A composite view of sunspots in Aug. 2024. Credit: Senol Sanli

    #Spaceweather #solar #sun #Sunspot #solarcycle

  16. Monster #sunspot group #AR13780 in white light and H-alpha 6th Aug 2024. #AR13781 is also in view if you expand the images, along with another region on the limb that hadn't been named yet. White light taken with a William Optics 70mm refractor, Altair Herschel wedge + Baader continuum filter. H-alpha image taken with a Coronado PST. I used a 3 x Barlow and ASI120MC camera on both and stacked the best 50% of a 1,000 frame video #Sun #ActiveRegion

  17. I guess the #NationalScienceFoundation must be one of those prepper cultists groups... Oh, and there's another potential active area (known as a #SolarPlage) about to become Earth-facing. I noticed that on the latest #SolarHam image. The plage will more than likely become #AR3673. Will it be as large and active as #AR3664?

    Scientists Developed New Model to Predict #Sunspot and #Plage Coverage for #SolarCycle25

    "#SolarFlares and coronal mass ejections (#CMEs) are eruptive events that impact #satellites, communication networks, electric power grids, and technological infrastructures."

    nso.edu/blog/new-model-to-pred

  18. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER X-FLARE: Solar activity has gone into overdrive. Since May 3rd, Earth-orbiting satellites have detected four X-class solar flares and an even greater number of almost X-class events. The responsible sunspot, AR3663, is still very active, and NOAA forecasters say more X-flares are possible this week. spaceweather.com has details.

    Image: The extreme ultraviolet flash from an X4.5-class solar flare on May 6, 2024. Credit: NASA/SDO

    #XFlare #Solar #XClass #Spaceweather #AR3663 #NASA #SDO #Flare #Sunspot

  19. Drawing of #Sunspot #AR13615, the largest and most complex white light #ActiveRegion I've ever drawn, as it looked at 11:00 UT 24th March 2024. I created it from photos taken with a #WilliamOptics 70mm refractor, Altair Herschel wedge, Celestron 3x Barlow + ASI120MC camera. #AstronomySketch #SunSketch

  20. AN X-FLARE FROM 'THE DANGER ZONE': Big #sunspot #AR3576 erupted today, producing a spectacular X2.5-class #solarflare. This sunspot is entering 'the danger zone' - a location on the sun that is magnetically connected to Earth. Additional X-flares this weekend could trigger a full-fledged radiation storm. Spaceweather.com is watching.

    Image: Plasma streamers hurled into space by today's #Xflare.

  21. THE SUN IS CELEBRATING ANOTHER EARTH ORBIT WITH A MAJOR X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Satellites orbiting Earth have just detected a significant #X5-class #solarflare. It is the strongest flare of Solar #Cycle25 (so far) and the most powerful eruption the #sun has produced since the great storms of Sept. 2017. The underlying #sunspot is a giant, and it is turning toward Earth with more flares in the offing. spaceweather.com has the explosive details.

    #HappyNewYear! #Spaceweather

  22. #SolarHam update:

    Solar Flux is 190
    November 22, 2023 @ 21:20 UTC

    "Below is the latest look at the #sunspot party currently taking place on the Sun. #AR3490 and #AR3492 remain the main regions of focus and are listed as the most likely to produce a noteworthy #SolarFlare. What appears to be another large active region is now turning into view off the southeast limb. With all of the #sunspots currently facing #Earth, the solar flux index for Wednesday is 190. What a turnaround compared to even five days ago. The current flare threat stands at 55% for a moderate M-Flare and 10% for a strong #XFlare."

    solarham.net/pictures/2023/nov

    #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #EarthFacing #CarringtonEffect

  23. SUNSPOT COUNTS HIT A 21-YEAR HIGH: It's official: The average #sunspot number in June 2023 hit a 21-year high. #Solar #Cycle25 has shot past its predecessor, Solar #Cycle24, and may be on pace to rival some of the more robust cycles of the 20th century. More on spaceweather.com/

    Image: Monthly-averaged sunspot numbers are at their highest level in 21 years.

  24. WAS Founder Phil Harrington found something in the New England sky yesterday - the #Sun! Using his #Lunt 60mm H-Alpha scope in Long Island, you can see the #sunspot group visible to the right of the center. The adjacent regions are called #plages that are associated with concentrations of magnetic fields. The dark, sinuous feature below left of center is a #filament which are huge arcs of plasma in the Sun's atmosphere. They look dark because they are not as hot as the Sun's surface behind them.