http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MaelstromA maelstrom /ˈmeɪlstrɒm/ is a very powerful whirlpool; a large, swirling body of water. A free vortex, it has considerabledowndraft.
SUBSIDING MAELSTROM: Sunspot AR1532 has been active, producing an M-class flare almost every day since it appeared last Friday. On July 28th, amateur astronomer Viljo Nylund of Finland photographed the maelstrom of hot plasma surrounding the sunspot's dark core:
Nylund used an H-alpha telescope tuned to the red glow of solar hydrogen. "The area around AR1532 looked very active and interesting, so I decided to try my luck. I made an inverted version of the image to highlight the 3D feel."
The maelstrom might be subsiding. A full day has gone by without a significant flare, and the active region's underlying spotted area is decreasing. NOAA forecasters estimate the chances of an M-class flare today to be 35%.
