The Dutch Observatory

September 10, 2017 on 11:51 pm | In Sun | Comments Off

The last chance to observe the Sun before the arrival of Irma.  Conditions were bad.  Solar Activity is High with 1 X-class flare (X8.2), 3 M-class and 15 C-class flares in the previous 48 hours.  AR2673 is still visible at the Western limb in the Ha close up, while AR2674 and 78 are almost there.  A new Area is visible at the Eastern limb but has not been named yet and probably will become AR2680.  Total Active Region Area for the Sun today is at 1110 millionths while the spot count is at 19.  Some very nice prominences are visible today even though the conditions were so bad. When I finished my session, the outer banks of Irma were visible from my observing location as can be seen in the last image, while the eye of the hurricane made landfall in the Florida Keys.