 | |
|
 |
| Canon 600d DSLR and an EFS zoom lens at f=300mm. |
 | |
|
 |
| Seestar S30 stacked video clip. |
 |
| The full solar disc (photosphere) showing a line of sunspots. Seestar S30 with external Baader white light filter made at the JPO. Stacked AVI video. |
Professor G.P.T Chat visiting Astrophysicist at he JPO was asked by Kurt to summarise the image of the Sun's Photosphere shown in the above image.
"Solar and Sunspot Activity on 3 March 2026
Sunspot Population and Quantitative Measures
On 3 March 2026, synoptic solar activity reports indicate that:
The international sunspot number was approximately 82, reflecting moderate sunspot visibility on the solar disk.
Multiple distinct sunspot regions were present on the Earth-facing solar hemisphere.
The 10.7 cm solar radio flux — a proxy for overall solar magnetic activity — was elevated relative to solar minimum (~148 sfu), consistent with solar cycle progression.
Active Sunspot Regions
Based on synoptic data from solar observatories (e.g., NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center, and SpaceWeatherLive):
Region Individual Spots Morphological Class Approx. Location on Disk
AR 4378 ~6 spots CHO (compact) Northern hemisphere near central meridian
AR 4381 ~9 spots EAO (moderate) Northern hemisphere toward eastern disk
AR 4383 ~2 spots BXO (small, simple) Northern hemisphere
AR 4384 ~8 spots EHO (extended) Near northeastern limb
These region classifications arise from modified Zurich, McIntosh, and magnetic Mt. Wilson schemes — routinely applied to sunspot groups by solar forecasters.
This distribution indicates a moderate number of discrete active regions with a mixture of simple and moderately structured groups; none were, on that day, dominant enough to drive sustained X-class flare activity.
Flare and Space Weather Activity
Solar X-ray monitoring (GOES satellites) on 3 March 2026 showed:
Only C-class flares were detected in the 24-hour window around the date, with no immediate X- or M-class events recorded on that specific calendar day.
Forecasts from NOAA/SWPC around the same period indicated a 30 % chance of M-class flares and a ~5 % chance of X-class events, highlighting a non-zero probability but not active flare production on 3 March itself.
Magnetic and Solar Activity Context
The observed sunspot and activity state fits within the context of Solar Cycle 25, which, while past its absolute peak, remained sufficiently active in early 2026 to support complex active regions and variability in flare likelihood.
Relative to the earlier part of the cycle (e.g., January–February 2026), when particularly large and magnetically intense regions such as AR 4366 produced numerous M- and X-class flares and even C-level geomagnetic effects, by early March those dominant regions had rotated off the Earth-facing disk or decayed, and the sunspot configuration was more moderate and distributed.
Summary of Sunspot Conditions on 3 March 2026
From observational data:
Quantitative Activity:
Sunspot number ~82 (moderate).
ive or more visible active regions.
10.7 cm radio flux elevated (~148 sfu).
Region Characteristics
Mix of simple and moderate groups; no exceptionally large or complex βγδ regions dominating the disk.
Flare productivity limited to C-class activity — no strong flares on that precise day.
Space Weather Implications
Solar activity was moderate — typical of late maximum or early descending phase of a solar cycle — with potential for stronger activity but not on the specific observation date."
