X5 from SJC

by Robert A. Hess

Today was first light for my new home in San Jose. After tracking the news about continuing activity from sunspot 798 for the past few days, I was eagerly awaiting its appearance over the eastern limb. Wow! This morning I read about its unleashing an X17 flare, with another predicted for today! An easy schedule at work meant I could take a bit of time outside today as well. So I came home for lunch (12 minute drive instead of 45), leisurely had a sandwich, then assembled the scope in the first driveway I've owned.

It was about 1:40 when I sat down at the eyepiece. Nice. Seeing was on & off. Mostly ripply, but I could see the chromospheric ring through the ripples. Certainly not what I'm accustomed to along the water's edge in Santa Cruz. Good enough to see structure throughout the complex spot, however, and the prominences all along the eastern limb. After about 15 minutes, I went in for something to drink.

Five minutes later, I'm back at the scope. Alright!!! Something's happenin'! Bright crack opening up right in the middle of the spot. But it keeps going! 8^)

Sunspot 798 chose that minute to spit a whole lotta stuff into space, right before my very eyes (eye, that is). Biggest flare I've ever seen! Sorry for all the exclamation marks. It kept getting longer and wider until it was about 2.5 times the length of the spot system (toward the southwest), and eventually about 3 Earth diameters wide. After about 10 minutes, another hot spot opened up adjacent to the southern edge of the previous structure. The two continued to grow and change until they joined to form a huge "fishhook" shape. At about 2:20, I had to pack it up and get back to work. When I got to a computer, I checked out Spaceweather dot com to see what I saw. Turns out it was an X5 flare, and it's my pleasure to be able to report it was spectacular! It was certainly excellent through a PST. I'd encourage everyone who owns them to keep an eye on this hardy little spot as it cruises across the sun for the next few days.

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Posted on sf-bay-tac Sep 08, 2005 20:54:59 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Mar 12, 2006 14:36:50 PT