Welcome to December, b*tches! 🎄 New month, new solar spectacle! While everyone else is already munching on Christmas chocolates and stressing about the holidays, I was watching with a beer in hand as sunspot 4274 showed off in November its show like some hypersexual influencer on Instagram 💃 - X-class flares and sexy coronal mass ejections, some of which hit Earth and caused a massive G4 geomagnetic storm that had grannies in the east fainting! 😱
But this spotty b*tch isn't done yet! 🤪 She survived her journey around the far side of the Sun and is now coming back with a new number like some reality show celebrity after plastic surgery - 4299! This morning, this ex-4274 announced her return with an X1.9 (R3-strong) solar flare, which peaked at 02:49 UTC! That's like when your ex comes back even hotter and richer just to show you what you lost! 😂
Ex-4274 (now AR4299) did slim down a bit on the far side, but she's still got fire in her like an Eastern Slovak after 5 shots of juniper brandy! 🔥 That X1.9 solar flare was truly impressive and brutally explosive. First, the flare launched a massive coronal mass ejection and then a secondary eruption from a nearby solar filament joined in. However, sunspot 4299 is close to the eastern limb and the resulting CME is not headed toward our planet. Still, she needs to be watched - we all know what she's capable of - like your ex after three glasses of wine! 👀
Another sunspot to keep your eye on is located on the Sun's southern hemisphere. Of course, I'm talking about the big one - 4294, which has a Beta-Gamma-Delta magnetic configuration (sounds like some cryptocurrency strategy, right?) 🧠 and has so far produced 6 M-class flares. Another potential flare producer along with sunspot 4299! These two are racing each other like two ladies at the supermarket fighting over discounted Nutella! 🛒
And as if that wasn't enough 🤷♀️, today we have a trans-equatorial coronal hole nicely positioned facing our planet. It's like when someone rips their pants on the dance floor! 😝 Solar wind streaming from this coronal hole could arrive at our planet on Wednesday, December 3rd. So if you have a romantic stargazing picnic planned for that day, maybe reschedule it or at least bring a camera for the aurora! 📸
A trans-equatorial coronal hole is aimed at Earth. Enhanced solar wind could arrive in ~3 days - and it could be a party like a lakeside summer festival! 🎉 We might even see aurora in Slovakia, so instead of being at the pub on Wednesday night, better be outside with your camera! 📱
Want to stay in the loop and get fresh info before your friends? Follow ziara.sk and you'll always know when to charge your phone and stock up on beer before a big geomagnetic storm! 🍺
Your Astronomer Cassandra ✨
