We have two sunspot regions which disappeared yesterday while one new region rotated into view over the north-east limb as a single spot HSX Alpha type group at 20 millionths in size and was numbered as region 1690.
Region 1689 grew from a BXO Beta group at 10 millionths to a DSO Beta type group at 150 millionths in size.
Even though there are several groups capable of producing C class flares, only occasional
solar flares are expected.
Region 1689
Region 1690
Thor's Helmet
This helmet-shaped cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages is popularly called Thor's Helmet. Heroically sized even for a Norse god, Thor's Helmet is about 30 light-years across. In fact, the helmet is actually more like an interstellar bubble, blown as a fast wind from the bright, massive star near the bubble's center sweeps through a surrounding molecular cloud. Known as a Wolf-Rayet star, the central star is an extremely hot giant thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. Cataloged as NGC 2359, the nebula is located about 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. The sharp image, made using broadband and narrowband filters, captures striking details of the nebula's filamentary structures. It shows off a blue-green color from strong emission due to oxygen atoms in the glowing gas.
Image Credit & Copyright: Martin Rusterholz (CXIELO Observatory)
Never saw Thor's Helmet before, very cool !!! Thank you !!
ReplyDeleteLove the deep space picture. Thanks for all of your work!
ReplyDelete