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Unusual Solar Phenomenon


theartist

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Can’t get a more serious website because on phone, but do those spots seem to coincide with Jupiter and Saturn being at the exact opposite side of the Sun? Could flux ropes from Jupiter and Saturn “crossing” cause such phenomena?

D640037C-6F41-4189-8880-0824590BCE71.png

I mention this because I recall seeing a video by NASA of the most recent X class flare sending gamma rays out into space and the Fermi telescope seeing them hit the opposite side of the sun some time later. It was mentioned they traveled along magnetic field lines. While not the same phenomena, perhaps there is a “short circuit” of sorts taking place here between interacting flux roles.

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Before I think about the deeper implications of what you suggest, I'll convey the simple explanation for which I was inferring.  You may have learned by now that the end phase of every Schwabe Cycle is the solar minimum period of approximately 3 yrs in duration.  (The Schwabe Cycle is ~11 yrs in duration, being 1/2 of a full 22-year 'magnetic cycle'; the polarity of sunspots reverses each half of the 'magnetic cycle'.)  The most commonly accepted solar dynamo theory assumes that the sunspots move to the equator over the duration of the Schwabe cycle; they first start out at about 40 degrees latitude ('bright points' can display at much higher latitudes) in each hemisphere, and by the end of the cycle, they are close to the equator.  (There is some overlap between cycles, which is further explained under descriptions of the 'Butterfly Diagram', which I'll leave to the reader to investigate further.)   

So what we see displayed in this rare solar phenomenon is the magnetic fields of multiple 'bright points' (note, not all 'bright points' have sufficiently strong enough magnetic fields associated with them to pierce the photosphere, creating a sunspot) being displayed simultaneously about as close to the solar equator that they can get.  This is a sign that we are relatively close to the bottom of the solar minimum period.

1 hour ago, Covert Goat said:

do those spots seem to coincide with Jupiter and Saturn being at the exact opposite side of the Sun

Jupiter and Saturn are currently on the same side of the sun, fairly close to each other.  They are currently off to the 'left' (towards 'solar east') of earth, which I think is what you refer to as "exact opposite" the 'bright points' being displayed, but nonetheless, "exact opposite" usually infers being completely on the other side of the sun (as in a superior conjunction) .

1 hour ago, Covert Goat said:

a video by NASA of the most recent X class flare sending gamma rays out into space and the Fermi telescope seeing them hit the opposite side of the sun some time later.

I'd like to review that video, assuming I can find it, or if you have a link.

29 minutes ago, theartist said:

This is a sign that we are relatively close to the bottom of the solar minimum period.

Actually, I'll have to review S. McIntosh's work, but I think he would indicate this is a sign we are close to what he refers to as "Terminator", which typically occurs sometime after the Solar Minimum Nadir.

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7 hours ago, Ben said:

When was the last time that this happend? How often this occurs?

I have not seen the observance of this phenomenon (a string of bright points simultaneously popping off at the solar equator) mentioned before.  Consider the following:

  • there is only a short window timeframe (3-4 months?) over an ~11-yr Schwabe Cycle where we would expect the event to even possibly occur;
  • during that short timeframe, there is no guarantee that it will actually occur in any solar minimum period, let alone during every solar minimum period (reducing the odds of seeing one further).
  • high tech imagery to observe this type of phenomenon has only been relatively recently available in the modern space age.

So in answer to your questions, I don't know, but it may be a long time (many many years) before it is ever observed again?   [Now, watch it happen once a week for the next 3-4 months. 🤣🤣😂]  

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12 hours ago, theartist said:

I have not seen the observance of this phenomenon (a string of bright points simultaneously popping off at the solar equator) mentioned before.  Consider the following:

  • there is only a short window timeframe (3-4 months?) over an ~11-yr Schwabe Cycle where we would expect the event to even possibly occur;
  • during that short timeframe, there is no guarantee that it will actually occur in any solar minimum period, let alone during every solar minimum period (reducing the odds of seeing one further).
  • high tech imagery to observe this type of phenomenon has only been relatively recently available in the modern space age.

So in answer to your questions, I don't know, but it may be a long time (many many years) before it is ever observed again?   [Now, watch it happen once a week for the next 3-4 months. 🤣🤣😂]  

Thank you very much for your explanation. Interesting. Let´s see what new surprises the Sun will bring to us in the future.

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