The K7RA Solar Update Sept 30th 2010

The Sun, as seen on Thursday, September 30, 2010 from NASA's SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. This MDI (Michelson Doppler Imager) image was taken in the continuum near the Ni I 6768 Angstrom line. The most prominent features are the sunspots. This is very much how the Sun looks in the visible range of the spectrum.

Tad "Magnificent strong Sun...so prodigally generous of pristine light" Cook, K7RA, reports: Conditions were good over the past week, with the average daily sunspot numbers up more than 5 points to 45.3, and the average solar flux rising 1.5 points to 84.4. On Wednesday, September 29, the solar flux was 90.7. The last time it was nearly this high was August 7 at 90.5, and it last topped this value at 91.8 on March 13, 2010. Despite dire predictions from some for a Maunder Minimum and no more sunspots, Solar Cycle 24 continues to progress. A coronal wind on September 24 provided the moderate geomagnetic activity for the week, with the planetary A index rising to 13. Look for more information on the ARRL Web site on Friday, October 1. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL Technical Information Service Propagation page. This week's "Tad Cookism" is brought to you by David Gascoyne's September Sun.