From: TerryMosel
aol.com
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:45:44 EST
Subject: 3rd largest Solar flare, aurora alert, JKB photos
Hi all,
The Sun continues to surprise & amaze! Not only have we just been treated to
two very large spot groups - some of the largest I've seen - on either side of
the Sun, but a new very active group has suddenly appeared near the centre of
the disc! It is designated AR (Active Region) 488. It has a very unusual oval
ring shape, and has just ejected the third largest solar flare ever recorded!
And it's heading our way! So there's a high aurora alert for tonight and
tomorrow night, with the possibility that latitudes as low as ours could be
affected. SO DO KEEP A LOOK OUT TO THE NORTH IF THE SKY IS CLEAR!
It's lucky for International Space Station Expedition 7 crewmembers Yuri
Malenchenko and Ed Lu, plus European researcher Pedro Duque, who returned to Earth
on Monday night aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule!
IAA member Peter Paice from Belfast has taken another excellent photo of the
spot groups, with a 'before and after' which I'm going to forward to you all
separately, in case the size of the file slows this up too much.
If anyone has any good photos of J Kelly Beatty giving his excellent opening
lecture to the IAA in Belfast in September, Andy McCrea would be very
grrateful for copies. You can email them to him at andrewmccreaa.freeserve.co.uk,
or post to 4 Ailsa Park, Bangor, Co Down, BT19 1EA.
Thanks, & Clear Skies,
Terry Moseley
Hi all,
Hope you get these great photos by Peter Paice OK.
Terry
From: PAPAICEaol.com
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 05:55:19 EST
Subject: Sudden arrival of new sunspot group - Peter Paice
Hi Terry, Yesterday was poor solar imaging, however there seemed to be a new
group in the centre of the disk. SOHO (MDI) has taken 24 hrs to number it
(AR488).
Very high activity associated with it (see Soho image below). Have put disk
for 26th. and 27th. below for comparison. Peter.
