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 23 January 2002
⇐20020122 ⇐Week ⇐Rotation Today Rotation⇒ Week⇒ 20020124⇒

Welcome to the Flare Prediction System. This page lists the active regions present on the Sun today, together with their probability of producing C-, M-, or X-class events. Flare probabilities are calculated using NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center data combined over 1969-1976 and 1988-1996 (details of which can be found in Bloomfield et al., 2012, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 747, L41, along with full forecast verification testing). The percentage probabilities are based on the number of flares produced by regions classified using the McIntosh classification scheme (McIntosh, P., 1990, Solar Physics, 125, 251) during cycles 21 and 22. For example, over both time periods there were 377 regions classified Eai. As this class produced 131 M-class events, the mean M-class flare rate is ~131/377 or ~0.347 flares per day. Assuming the number of flares per unit time is governed by Poisson statistics, we can estimate a flaring probability for the following 24-hours using P( one or more flares ) = 1 - exp( -mean ), i.e., P = 1 - exp( -0.347 ) ~ 0.29, or 29% for an Eai class region to produce one or more M-class flares in the next 24-hours.

See Gallagher, P. T., Moon, Y.-J., Wang, H., Solar Physics, 209, 171, (2002),
Wheatland, M. S., 2001, Solar Physics, 203, 87 and Moon et al., 2001, Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, 106(A12) 29951 for further details.

Click here for a description of the various active region classifications from the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
Region Flare Probabilities (%)
Number McIntosh C-class M-class X-class
No Prediction Found

NOTE: Occurrence of '...' indicates that McIntosh class was not observed in the period over which the Poisson flare rate statistics were determined. Values in parantheses/brackets give the NOAA/SWPC forecast probabilities for the occurrence of one or more C-, M-, or X-class flares. When viewed in real-time and before 22:00 UT, NOAA predictions are valid up to 22:00 UT on the current date. When viewed in real-time after 22:00 UT (or when viewing past dates), NOAA predictions are valid up to 22:00 UT on the following date. The most recent data can also be found at NOAA's 3-day Space Weather Predictions page.

Please contact Peter Gallagher if you have any comments or questions regarding this research.


Today's/Yesterday's NOAA Active Regions
NOAA Number
Latest
Position
Hale
Class
McIntosh Class
Sunspot Area
[millionths]
Number of Spots
Recent
Flares
09781 S06W91
(946",-96") 		α/α Hsx/Hsx 0050/0070 01/01 -
09782 N08W89
(943",129") 		α/α Hsx/Hax 0090/0080 01/01 -
09783 S10W66
(858",-212") 		β/β Dao/Cao 0140/0130 10/05 -
09784 S28W87
(839",-449") 		βγ/- Cao/--- 0030/---- 03/-- -
09785 N13W80
(914",192") 		β/β Dso/Dso 0090/0100 02/06 -
09786 S26W87
(854",-419") 		α/β Hsx/Dso 0050/0070 01/04 -
09787 S06E05
(-82",-218") 		βγ/β Dko/Eko 0400/0430 13/07 -
09788 N18W14
(220",181") 		βγ/β Dai/Dai 0200/0160 18/14 -
09789 N18W56
(752",228") 		βγ/β Cro/Dso 0010/0070 04/10 -
09790 N29W29
(405",367") 		βγ/β Cso/Bxo 0010/0100 03/03 -
09791 S02W60
(826",-93") 		βγ/β Dao/Dso 0070/0120 10/06 -
09792 S03W30
(477",-153") 		βγ/- Bxo/--- 0010/---- 05/-- -
09793 S12W13
(210",-312") 		βγ/β Cso/Dso 0020/0050 05/08 -
09794 N12E09
(-146",80") 		αγ/β Hsx/Bxo 0010/0020 02/02 -
09795 N23W74
(843",339") 		βγ/- Dso/--- 0040/---- 03/-- -
09796 N09E04
(-65",29") 		βγ/- Cso/--- 0030/---- 04/-- -
09797 S16E18
(-284",-371") 		αγ/- Hsx/--- 0020/---- 02/-- -
09798 S03E28
(-448",-155") 		βγ/- Cso/--- 0020/---- 04/-- -
09799 S25E40
(-556",-484") 		βγ/- Bxo/--- 0020/---- 02/-- -

Class (HH:MM) -Today
Class (HH:MM) -Yesterday

Events not associated with currently named NOAA regions: None

Note: The tabulated data are based on the most recent NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary issued on 23-Jan-2002 00:30 . The greyed out and light-blue entries are values from the previous day. Slashed cells indicate that the active region has no spots. The latest positions of the active regions are given in both heliographic and heliocentric co-ordinates. The region positions are valid on 23-Jan-2002 23:30 .