
A number of sunspot groups are present on the visible solar disk as of August 16th, 2022. The most interesting and active is Region 3078 – a small, but compact and magnetically complex grouping currently located just west of the Sun’s central meridian over the southern hemisphere. Region 3078 has mixed magnetic polarities within its small, compact, penumbral structure. This usually is a sign of instability and Region 3078 has been moderately active and produced frequent flares, to include an M5 x-ray flare (R2-Moderate radio blackout) at 3:58 am EDT (0758 UTC) on 16 August. This region is forecast to have a chance of still producing M-class flares; however, recent imagery indicated possible signs of weakening and potential decay. Please continue to visit https://swpc.noaa.gov for the latest forecast and updates.