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Hinode (Sunrise), a project to study the Sun, is exploring
the magnetic fields of the Sun, and is improving our understanding of the mechanisms that power the solar atmosphere and drive solar eruptions.
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The First New Cycle (24) Spot in Two Months!
Sep 23, 2008
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On September 22, a new cycle region appeared on the northwest quadrant of the solar disk. By September 23, the region had been numbered AR 11002 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (however, since July 2002 when NOAA active region numbers reached 10,000, NOAA designates ARs with four digit numbers, in this case, AR 1002). The location of the active region at 2400 UT was N25W27. The image on the left is from the SOlar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and shows the magnetic configuration of the active region (white is positive polarity, black is negative). The image on the right, from Hinode's X-ray telescope, shows the local effect of the active region on the corona; the magnetic field of the active region essentially heats the volume of gas above it, causing the corona to glow brightly in X rays.
Regarding the magnetic configuration of sunspots: Active regions in the northern hemisphere of the Sun that appear with negative polarity leading (toward the west), are a part of the new sunspot cycle of the Sun, cycle 24. (Click Sunspot Cycle for more information.)
New cycle spots in the southern hemisphere will appear with positive polarity on the western (right) side of the sunspot. On May 5, AR 10993, new cycle sunspots made an appearance in the southern hemisphere, where positive polarity leads. Compare AR10999 with the southern hemisphere new cycle spot of 6 May, 2008.
Regarding quiet-sun conditions: Since June 15, X-ray flux has been less than or equal to 1 x 10-8 Watts/m2. (See also GOES X rays on Solar Monitor).
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Click HERE for an animated gif movie showing ten days of solar (in)activity. Before September 22, the last numbered active region appeared on July 21 (AR 11000). Between June 11 - July 21, 2008, there were only two numbered active regions (AR 10999 on 06/27 and AR 10998 on 06/11). See the Solar Monitor or NOAA's Solar Region Summary Reports for more information.
Click HERE for an animated gif movie compiled from X-ray images spanning the period June 24 to July 8, 2008. The loops close to the equator on June 24-26 (to the right of the central meridian) are from old-cycle spots, NOAA active region 10999 (AR 10999). The Sun produced one B-class flare in the time period May 17 - July 11 (as seen by GOES ). For an explanation of flare classes, go to Space Weather's Classification of X-ray Solar Flares.
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