XRT Picture of the Week (XPOW)

AR12192 is the largest active region in two solar cycles (since 1990). Larger than Jupiter, and having a complicated magnetic field pattern, it provided a spectacular show as it crossed the solar disk. XRT observed 6 X-flares and 50 C and M flares from this active region. Above is a movie composed of an XRT image from each flare event. Most of the images were taken in the Be_thin filter but a few images are in thicker filters and they are noted in the movie above.

You will first see the active region on the eastern limb of the sun where we see it edge on. As the movie progresses, the active region appears to flatten out because our perspective changes and we look straight down onto the active region. Finally, as it swings to the west limb, we see the back edge of the active region while it rotates off the disk.

This active region is still hanging out on the sun. It rotated back onto the disk around November 13 (AR12209) and on December 11 (AR12235). It will return again 2015 January 5. But, it will be four rotations old with most of its magnetic flux extinguished.