Screen 8 — Shear Map (1600Å) + Close-Ups of Active Regions
Summary
This screen focuses on magnetic shear and activity structure. The full-disk shear map provides a ‘where is the stress?’ overview, and the close-ups let you inspect the most relevant regions in detail.
More detail
What you’re looking at
- SDO 1600Å full disk: Shows a layer where flare ribbons can brighten strongly.
- Shear map overlay: Highlights areas where magnetic geometry is more stressed/complex.
- Zoom panels: Provide detail on specific regions (often near the limb or a target active region).
What to watch for
- Rapid brightening in 1600Å can be a flare signature.
- Co-located shear + brightening can indicate an energetically interesting region.
- Compare timestamps: a developing event often changes quickly over minutes.
Practical tip: Shear maps help answer: “Where is the magnetic field under tension?” They’re most useful when you then watch those places in live EUV/UV imagery.