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Solar Fury
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Solar cycle 24 reached its maximum in early 2014. During solar maximum (approximately February 2014) the Sun produced nearly three C-flares and one M-flare per day, but two years and ten months later the Sun deprives those studying solar flares of observations. The Sun averaged just under one C-flare a week from September 1st, 2016 to November 27th, 2016. Meanwhile, the last time the Sun produced an M-flare was on August 7th, 2016. However, the Sun came out in a fury on November 29th, 2016 with AR 12615's emergence. AR 12615 produced two M-flares and eight C-flares on that day (perhaps increasing activity to burn off energy stored on holiday weekend).
While the Sun has calmed since November 29th, AR 12615 maintains a moderate activity level. The Hinode X-ray
Telescope (XRT) observed AR 12615 on December 4th, 2016. During the observation, AR 12615 produced a C-class flare,
which enhanced the X-ray emission in the region. Following the flare, two bright points west of the main AR loops produced
a little over ten jets in the next four hours. The physical correlation if any for such sympathetic events remains an area
of active research.
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(Prepared by Jakub Prchlik)
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