WAS THE FLARE ON 5 JULY 1989 A WHITE-LIGHT FLARE

The continuous emission spectra of H alpha, H beta, and H-gamma wave b ands of the solar hare of 5 July 1989 have been analysed. We demonstra te that the flare not only emits at the line centres and wings of H al pha, H beta, and H gamma, but also in the continuum near these lines. The positions, durations, and configurations of the four flare kernels are respectively similar to those of a white light flare (WLF). There fore we conclude that this flare was very likely a WLF The magnetic fi eld of the active region has also been analysed. Most of the flare is located in the vicinity of the neutral line of the magnetic field. Thr ee of the four flare kernels that have continuous emissions lie in the penumbrae of the preceding sunspot and the following sunspot, and nea r the neutral line, where the magnetic field shears, twists, and shows evidences of having been squeezed or compressed. The fourth kernel of the flare is located in the photospheric region near a small sunspot (about 4'' in size). The flare kernel with the brightest continuous em ission is located at a point where the gradient of the longitudinal ma gnetic field has maximum value (0.52 Gs/Km). Thus the magnetic field a t the flare kernels is of two kinds: one showing twist, shear, and pos sible compression, the other in the photospheric region near a sunspot group or a sunspot. The total energy of the flare is estimated to be about 3.8 x 10(30) erg.