The flaring activity of the Sun decreased significantly. The strongest flare of the past 24 hours was the C3.0 flare peaking yesterday at 14:52 UT in the Catania sunspot group 28 (NOAA AR 1967), which maintains the beta-gamma-delta configuration of its photospheric magnetic field. Catania sunspot groups 27 and 36 (NOAA ARs 1968 and 1974 respectively) have beta-gamma configuration of the photospheric magnetic field. We expect flaring activity at the C-level with isolated M-class flares. Due to
position of the Catania sunspot groups 27 and 28 (NOAA ARs 1968 and 1967 respectively) in the western hemisphere, a major CME in one of them may lead to a proton event, so we maintain the warning condition.

An interplanetary shock wave was detected yesterday by ACE at 16:18 UT and by SOHO/CELIAS at 16:28 UT. The jumps of solar wind parameters across the shock were: from 310 to 410 km/s (speed), from 1.5 to 8 particles per cubic centimeter (density), from 25000 to 80000 K (temperature), and from 5 to 12
nT (interplanetary magnetic field magnitude). The shock was most probably driven by the ICME corresponding to the partial halo CME that first appeared in the SOHO/LASCO C2 field of view on February 4 at 01:25 UT. The Earth is now inside the post-shock sheath, and the north-south
interplanetary magnetic field component Bz was mostly positive in it, so the K index reached only values of 3 (IZMIRAN and NOAA). We do not expect the ICME itself to arrive at the Earth, so the geomagnetic situation will soon return back to quiet, although isolated intervals of active (K = 4) or minor storm (K = 5) geomagnetic conditions  are not excluded.
SIDC

Equipment: Coronado 90 +  Imaging Source DMK  + LX75
Processing: Photoshop, Avistack 30 frames
Date: 02/08/14
Time UT: 16:00
Exposure 1/500 sec.

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