From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4@msn.com)
Date: Wed Oct 30 2002 - 05:48:49 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: Cary Oler
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 10:07 PM
To: sun-earth@SkyandTelescope.com
Subject: AstroAlert: Watch the eastern solar limb over the next week
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This Is SKY & TELESCOPE's AstroAlert for Sun-Earth Interactions
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A s t r o A l e r t
Sun-Earth Alert
Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
http://www.spacew.com
28 October 2002
WATCH THE EAST SOLAR LIMB FOR POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY
Strong coronal mass ejection (CME) activity is persisting from behind
the Sun. The active sunspot complex believed to be responsible may be within
3 to 5 days away from rotating into view around the eastern limb of the Sun.
Recent far-side images of the Sun derived from SOHO spacecraft data have
revealed a possible source of the CME activity. Farside images are available
here: http://sun.stanford.edu/~phil/farside/back/gifs/recent.html
If activity from the responsible spot complex continues over the next
3 to 5 days, there is a good chance solar observers may be treated to some
interesting and dynamic activity as the spot complex begins to come into
view. Eruptive prominences, loop prominence systems, surging and perhaps an
occasional limb spray may grace the field of views of observers equipped with
hydrogen alpha solar filters. For those without filters, or for those under
cloudy skies, current real-time images of the Sun from professional solar
observatories can be found (with regularly updated movies of activity) at:
http://www.spacew.com/sunnow
It is still far too early to say whether the active region responsible
for the recent flurry of activity will remain potent enough to affect the
Earth in November. It is entirely possible the spot complex will stabilize
before then. But there is at least a remote chance - some of the strongest
sunspot groups in history have endured for several weeks before decaying into
less energetic centers of activity. The spot complex in question would
probably need to remain volatile for another 6 to 8 days (through to at least
3 to 5 November) before it would be in a position to throw significant
coronal mass ejections Earthward (assuming the location of the spot complex
responsible for this activity is really within 3 to 5 days from rotating into
view).
Regardless of what happens, the next week may yield some interesting
solar activity for observers.
** End of the AstroAlert Bulletin **
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