Happy Summer Solstice 2018!

Today, June 21, 2018, at 1007 UTC (6:07 am ET) the Sun reached its northernmost point in our sky. In the northern hemisphere we have the longest day of the year while people in the southern hemisphere have their longest night. Six months from now we will reverse places for the Winter Solstice. It's all due to the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis that tilts us toward the Sun in northern summer. Our ancestors often celebrated the Solstices with parties. I'll celebrate with some pictures of the Sun.

For those who thought Solar Cycle 24 had faded into history, please look at today's Sun. There are three active regions visible on the Sun and a sunspot number of 52. This blended image overlays an HMI magnetogram with an HMI continuum image. Helioviewer.org has provided pointers to the active regions. (The little β describes the complexity of the active region.) All three regions are at low latitudes in the northern hemisphere of the Sun and have the black magnetic field leading the white, so they are Solar Cycle 24 sunspots. Another region of Solar Cycle 24 field is visible on the left and will soon rotate into view.

Even as Solar Cycle 24 fades, we see the signs of the next cycle. Here is an AIA 171 Å image, also with the active regions pointed out. I added two arrows to the dark patches at the poles of the Sun. Those polar coronal holes contain the seeds of Solar Cycle 25. The strength of the polar magnetic field says that Solar Cycle 25 will be a little more active than Solar Cycle 24. We only have to wait until 2025 to find out.

Thanks to Helioviewer.org for the labels.

Enjoy the Solstice!