CHANCE OF FLARES: So far today, solar activity is low. However, that could be the calm before the storm. The magnetic field of big sunspot AR1654 has grown more complex. It is now classified as a ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field, which means it harbors energy for X-class eruptions. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.

If there is a flare today, the blast would be Earth-directed. This sunrise shot, taken at dawn on Jan. 16th by Jan Koeman on the bank of the Westerschelde River in the Netherlands, shows how AR1654 (circled) is almost directly facing our planet:

“Sunspot complex AR1654-AR1656 was clearly visible through the clouds and mist,” says Koeman. “It was a wonderful sunrise even at -8 degrees celsius.”

fr/spaceweather.com