Propgtn Polar Crown Filament: Sign of Solar Cycle End & Beginning

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This post is simplified explanation. I learned this from solar physicists. I am not a scientist!
Polar Crown Filament or PCF are gigantic filament that park at 55 degrees latitude of the sun's surface during a solar cycle. When the solar cycle terminates they are often in the equatorial zone then rapidly retreat to the Polar Inversion Line (PIL) Which basically is the border of the polar regions where the Polar Coronal Holes reside. This represents a reversal of the Polar magnetic field polarity. NOT the sun flipping poles! That happens at solar maximum.
We will see Polar Crown Prominence stemming these Polar Crown Filaments. They are much larger and taller than other filaments that stem off of sunspots and other regions. Very hard to see. We have to look at the solar limbs (edges) to see them at 171 angstroms. When you see them they are impressive!

Right now this is this happening. Yesterday I spotted a few and here is one of them. HF operators and Shortwave listeners keep your eyes peeled for the months ahead!

Video in 304 Angstroms. This is a Polar Crown Prominence at Northeast limb at PIL

If that is present then we can see a Polar Crown Filament at 171 Angstroms on the Northeast limb of the Sun at PIL
Notice the gigantic 'arc'! (View in fullscreen!)

That's all I have for now. Thanks!

 

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Polar Crown Filaments favor the dominant polarity of the previous solar cycle. Solar cycle 23 had a polarity of +/-. Positive field being the dominant field. Solar cycle 24 was -/+ polarity. Negative field being the dominant field. PCF's may appear on the south polar inversion line beginning of solar cycle 26. The dominant field of solar cycle 23, positive, is why we see PCF's at the north pole which is the positive field. North Pole is positive. South pole is negative in solar cycle 24. They are hard to find on the south pole until the beginning of solar cycle 26. Solar cycle 25 will be +/-. positive is dominant. PCF's will appear at the north pole in solar cycle 27.

Today's AIA 171 image shows this marked with black boxes:
Look also at the south pole at about -60 to -80 degrees. Notice none there.
(Zooming required to see better)


Associated Fun Prominence
Here is a solar 'tornado':

I hope those who are just looking for just sunspots to also look at PCF's know how to identify them and keep an eye on them. These are very significant in the beginning and end of solar cycles. We can't see magnetic fields with the naked eye but we can tell that there is a corkscrew like field in the sun that 'commands' solar activity in whole. That's evident in the rotating prominence in the video. PCF's are a sign.

That's all I have for now!
Certain things need to happen before sunspots occur again.