Bulletin from Tomas Hood, NW7US:

"The Sun awakens in the early dawn of Sunspot Cycle 24"

During the week of March 24, the Sun became quite active.  This, after many months of long stretches of quiet, sunspot-less days.  March 25 images of the sun revealed a train of sunspots, NOAA AR 0987 (a beta configuration), 0988 (a beta configuration), and 0989 (an alpha configuration).  For many months prior, there would be an occasional sunspot, if any at all.  These three sunspots indicate a sun that is waking up; there was even a strong M1-class solar flare on March 25, the first such strong flare in a long period of quiet (the last such flare was mid-2007). 

The M1.7 magnitude flare originated in sunspot 0989, which was on the very edge of the sun, not facing us.  As this sunspot group rotates into what is known as "geo-effective" position, it may well cause intense radio blackouts and storms, while also strengthening the ionosphere, in turn creating great DX opportunities on higher HF frequencies during non-radio blackout periods.  Radio blackouts occur during solar flares.

On the same day, March 25, the solar flux (10.7-cm flux index) rose from the low 70’s to the high of 89 (as of the time this is being written), and the flare caused minor storming and a radio blackout on HF.  This is a great trend for those interested in using the high frequencies for radio communications.  As we now move away from sunspot cycle minimum to the peak of cycle 24, sometime in the next three to five years, activity will increase.  With this increase in activity will come better HF propagation on the higher portions of HF, while also bringing an increase in radio blackouts and geomagnetic storminess that is part of an active cycle.

We’re in for the exciting start of a new solar cycle!  Some forecasters speculate that this solar cycle will not be too active.  I still hold to one early forecast that speculates that the cycle may be a very active and exciting one.  Time will tell!

(c) Tomas Hood, NW7US
Contributing editor:
 CQ Magazine, CQ VHF, Popular Communications