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 22 May 2002
⇐20020521 ⇐Week ⇐Rotation Today Rotation⇒ Week⇒ 20020523⇒

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
09948 S20W84
(890",-335") 		αγδ/αγδ Hhx/Hkx 0340/0320 02/02 -
09954 S22W24
(360",-457") 		βγδ/βγδ Dso/Dao 0090/0110 08/06 -
09955 S13W25
(393",-319") 		αγδ/αγδ Hrx/Hsx 0010/0020 01/01 -
09957 N09W06
(98",29") 		βγδ/βγδ Ekc/Ekc 0760/0830 59/37 -
09958 N04W18
(294",-48") 		αγδ/αγδ Hsx/Hsx 0080/0090 01/02 -
09960 N14E21
(-332",120") 		--/βγδ Dac/Dao 0140/0140 05/06 -
09961 S23E34
(-491",-462") 		βγδ/βγδ Eai/Eai 0330/0480 16/14 -
09962 N15E33
(-502",147") 		αγδ/αγδ Hsx/Hrx 0020/0020 01/01 -
09963 N17E46
(-657",197") 		αγδ/αγδ Hax/Hax 0210/0120 02/01 -
09964 S15W06
(96",-361") 		βγδ/- Bxo/--- 0010/---- 04/-- -
09965 S10E48
(-699",-243") 		βγδ/- Cao/--- 0080/---- 04/-- -

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 22-May-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 22-May-2002 23:30 .