PROPAGATION
The new Sunspot Cycle 25 is bursting to life — and the first M-class flare of this new cycle erupted on May 29, 2020, between 07:20 and 07:30 UTC. It peaked at a maximum energy level of M1.1. The event started at 0713, peaked at 0724, and ended at 0728 UTC, the first major flare in 925 days. (See Figure 1)
Some have wondered if we had entered a grand solar minimum <https://g.nw7us.us/2MrV5q6>. The truth is, just like the cycle minimum period between Cycles 23 and 24, this period between Cycle 24 and the new Cycle 25 was prolonged, but not in the same category as the Grand Solar Minimum of 1645 to 1715 during which sunspots became exceedingly rare, as was noted then by solar observers <https://g.nw7us.us/mm1645>. At least, that’s the consensus at the moment. There have been more sunspots, this year, as 2020 unfolds.
Another sign that we are entering Sunspot Cycle 25 is Hale’s Polarity Law holding true as Cycle 24 ends. Hale’s Polarity Law pertains to how the sun’s magnetic fields follow certain patterns. Specifically, this law states that the leading and trailing magnetic fields in an active solar region belonging to the older sunspot cycle have the opposite magnetic orientation to
