Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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The Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory has released a space weather update and forecast, Azernews reports.

According to the observatory, solar activity has increased, with primarily M-class solar flares being recorded. Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have also been observed. The number of sunspots has increased, with 155 sunspots across 11 sunspot groups, and a large coronal hole has been observed in the southern hemisphere.

The maximum speed of the solar wind has increased to 839 kilometers per second.

Currently, the speed of the solar wind is 534 kilometers per second.

Due to a sunspot being near the central meridian of the Sun and the additional effect of coronal holes, G1-G2 level geomagnetic storms were observed from August 8 to 10. Space weather remains active at present.

During the forecast period (August 11–17), the probability of C-class flares is 99%, M-class (R1–R2) flares is 55%, and X-class (R3) flares is 10%.

High levels of electron flux with energy over 2 MeV and proton flux with energy over 10 MeV are expected from August 11 to 13.

Due to the influence of high-speed streams from a positive-polarity coronal hole, the solar wind speed is expected to remain elevated.

Under the influence of these streams, a G1-level geomagnetic storm is forecasted for August 11–13, after which geomagnetic conditions are expected to range from unsettled to quiet levels until August 18.