MM#021 Parker Solar Probe Perihelion Passage

Max Millennium Chief Observer mmchiefobserver at gmail.com
Sun Jan 17 14:59:31 MST 2021


Dear Collaborators,

The level of solar activity remains extremely low. NOAA 12796 produced
the only flare since the last message, a B2.8 event on 17-Jan-2021 at
13:18 UT. However, NOAA 12796 was classified as a beta/B-type sunspot
group at the start of the UT day and has significantly decayed since
then, having lost almost all spot coverage. Another spotted region is
rotating over the South East limb, the return of the region previously
designated as NOAA 12795. This currently unnumbered region produced two
A-class flares during its limb transit (likely B-class due to footpoint
occultation), but appears to have a simple beta magnetic configuration
so there is no change in flaring activity expected in the following 24
hours. The Max Millennium Program continues supporting the coordination
of observations for the 7th perihelion passage of PSP, where perihelion
occurs today. The target will continue tracking the PSP model-consensus
magnetic-footpoint that is now located in the South West quadrant after
PSP's crossing of the Heliospheric Current Sheet early today.

The approximate position of this region on 17-Jan-2021 at 21:30 UT is:

S27W43 , ( 594", -387" )

NOTE: PSP is orbiting in the same direction as solar rotation, but at
a faster rate.

See http://www.SolarMonitor.org for images and
http://solar.physics.montana.edu/max_millennium/ops/observing.shtml
for a description of the current Max Millennium Observing Plan.

Regards,

Shaun Bloomfield (Northumbria University)


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