Solar storm from sunspot 798

[newtonian]

How does today's solar storm compare with the other 15 this year?<br /><br />Is it normal to have this many solar storms during a solar minimum - or am I misinformed?<br /><br />Is there increased skin cancer risk for those out in the sun today?<br /><br />Have any of you seen last night's auroral displays?

 

[newtonian]

cneeds- Hi! Yes, too far south of course.<br /><br />I heard the auroras were visible as far south as Arizona!

 

[CalliArcale]

I looked and looked here in Minnesota, but didn't see any, alas. <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br /><br />Sunspot 798 is reportedly deteriorating, so we likely will not see it again. There are no large sunspots on the solar farside, and only one small spot has come around the limb; 810 is puny compared to 798, even as 798 is shrinking. The current risk of flares is forecast at 20% for short-lived M-class flares, 10% for short-lived X-class flares, 10% for long-lived M-class, and 5% for long-lived X-class flares. That's the usual forecast when the sun's being quiet, so this brief burst of solar activity is probably over. It's anybody's guess when the next monster sunspot will appear. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>