/solar regions

/solar regions

Shows the Sun’s numbered sunspot regions (the ones NOAA tracks) placed on a map of the disk as it looks right now, with each region’s position, size and magnetic class.

Usage: /solar regions. There is nothing to enter: the Sun looks the same from everywhere, so no location is needed.

What you get — a diagram of the disk (solar north up, east on the left, west on the right) with each region marked and sized by its area, a table beside it, and a list of the regions from east to west with area (millionths of the Sun’s hemisphere), Zurich/McIntosh class, magnetic class and spot count where NOAA reports them.

Limb forecast — under the list: the regions that will rotate off the west limb and, from NOAA’s own list of returning regions, those due back round the east limb, each with an estimated time and date.

Caveats — positions are NOAA’s, carried forward to the present with the Sun’s rotation, so they are good to about a degree. Limb times are estimates from the average rotation rate, not predictions, and a region can grow, decay or flare before it gets there. A new region may not have an area or class yet; those show as missing, never as zero. If NOAA can’t be reached the last copy (up to six hours old) is used and the footer says so.