Dear Collaborators,

Solar activity is at an extremely low level. Target region NOAA 12857 has decayed in the past 24 hours becoming classified as a beta/B-type sunspot group at the start of the UT day but it has now lost its leading spots. A new flux region has emerged close to the central meridian since the last message. This new region has formed spots in both polarities with neither showing penumbrae (expected to be classed as a beta/B-type sunspot group), but it has already produced 2 B-class flares (including the largest event of the period, a B2.8 flare on 18-Aug-2021 at 19:58 UT). The new magnetic flux region becomes the target, with further B-class flares expected over the next 24 hours.

The approximate position of this region on 18-Aug-2021 at 21:30 UT is:

N13E01 , ( -15", 103" )

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)