Solar Observations: June 2020

Monty has been observing regularly but over the past few months his reports have not been happy ones because the Sun has not been very active. Fortunately there was a slight improvement in activity in June and good news from ESA's Solar Orbiter Mission with the release of the first image early in July and the images over the past day which reveal activity that looks like "campfires" on the Sun. The image right is from the ESA Solar Orbiter and released on 16 July European time.

Toner Stevenson website editor.

MONTY LEVENTHAL OAM JUNE SOLAR REPORT

For the month of June 2020 Sunspot activity was extremely low during my observations with only one group observed. No Sunspots were observed on the 2nd June and on the 14th to the 30th. A total of only 16 observations were made with the remaining 14 days either cloud covered or rain.Most Prominences observed were extremely faint & small. No Flares, Faculae or Plage were seen.The total average classification value was 4.0 and the relevant total Sunspot number was also 4.

My first observation was on the 2nd June and all that could be seen on that day was a mound type Prominence on the NW limb reaching a height of approximately 84,000km. On the 4th a single Hsx spot was seen in AR 12765. Emanating from the Sunspot during the observation was a Surge, it started at 23.30hrs & ended at 23.45hrs. Surges are simply material or plasma forced out by pressure and back by I think gravity.

The following day the single spot in AR12765 had grown to a Dsi bipolar group of 3 spots, 2 with penumbra & 1 without. By the 7th June the group in AR12765 had reduced in size to a Cri group with a classification value of 6. No Prominences could now be seen though a Filament was observed close to the group. It was last seen on the 12th at a Lat. of -25° and Long.114°.

No further Sunspots were seen for the rest of the month and Prominences remained very faint and small with the exception on the 29th. An active Prominence on the NW limb reached a height of 65,000km and another on the NE limb being a double arch Prominence also reached a height of 65,000km. It stretched across the limb for about 186,000km.

On the 30th June the same Prominence stretched across the limb for approximately 233,000km and reached about 84,000km high.