SOLAR WIND STORM: Solar wind is blowing around Earth faster than 600 km/s (1.3 million mph) as our planet moves through the wake of a CME that struck on May 24th. This is causing geomagnetic unrest around the poles.
from: spaceweather.com
Tag Archives: Solar Flare
New CME 5/22
M5-CLASS EXPLOSION: The ongoing radiation storm got started on May 22nd when the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR1745 exploded. The blast produced an M5-class solar flare and hurled a magnificent CME over the sun’s western limb:
Credit: the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
The movie of the CME is very “snowy.” That is caused by high-energy solar protons striking the CCD camera in SOHO’s coronagraph. Each strike produces a brief snow-like speckle in the image. This hailstorm of solar protons is what forecasters mean by “radiation storm.”
Although the explosion was not squarely Earth-directed, the CME will likely be geoeffective. The expanding cloud appears set to deliver a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field on May 24th around 1200 UT. According to NOAA forecast models, the impact will more than double the solar wind plasma density around Earth and boost the solar wind speed to ~600 km/s.
from: spaceweather.com
Incoming CME
ANOTHER INCOMING CME: As Earth’s magnetic field reverberates from one CME strike, a second more potent CME is on the way. It was propelled in our direction by sunspot AR1748, which unleashed an M3-class solar flare on May 17th (0858 UT). Although this is not the strongest flare we’ve seen from AR1748, it could be the most geoeffective; the sunspot was almost-squarely facing Earth when the blast occurred. NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of polar geomagnetic storms when the cloud arrives.
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory took this picture of the CME leaving the sun at 1500 km/s (3.4 million mph) on May 17th:
In the video, the CME appears to hit Mercury, but it does not. It is merely passing in front of the innermost planet. The planet in the line of fire is actually Earth.
from: spaceweather.com
More X-Flares
X-FLARE THREAT CONTINUES: Sunspot AR1748 has already unleashed four X-class solar flares, but it might not be finished. The active region continues to grow beneath a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for powerful eruptions. NOAA puts the odds of another X-flare today at 60%. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory took this picture of AR1748 during the early hours of May 16th:
The sunspot is not particularly large, but it is complex, with many dark cores scattered through its zone of influence. This is a sign of a complicated overlying magnetic field. Magnetic complexity is the source of AR1748’s explosiveness: when tangled lines of magnetic force cross and reconnect–bang! A flare occurs.
All by itself, AR1748 has produced more X-flares than every other sunspot of the past year combined. In summary, AR1748 has given us an X1.7-class flare (0217 UT on May 13), an X2.8-class flare (1609 UT on May 13), an X3.2-class flare (0117 UT on May 14), and an X1-class flare (0152 on May 15). More could be in the offing.
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Solar Flare Alert — 05/02
CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters have raised the odds of an M-class solar flare today to 45%. There are at least two sunspots capable of producing such an eruption: AR1730 and AR1731. Sunspot AR1731 is located near the center of the solar disk, so any eruptions from that one will be Earth-directed.
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Strong Solar Flares
STRONG SOLAR FLARE: The magnetic field of sunspot AR1719 erupted on April 11th at 0716 UT, producing an M6-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the explosion’s extreme ultraviolet flash:
Shortly after the flare, a CME emerged from the blast site. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of geomagnetic storms on April 13th when the cloud reaches Earth. High-latitude sky watchers, be alert for auroras!
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Sunspot Alert
DOUBLE-BARRELED SUNSPOTS: Earth is staring down a double-barreled threat for solar flares–that is, sunspots AR1718 and AR1719. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the pair during the early hours of April 10th:
Each of these sunspots has a ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class flares. Of the two, AR1718 appears more likely to erupt. It is growing rapidly and is already crackling with lesser C-class flares. Any explosions today will be Earth-directed.
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Solar Flare Possibility
CHANCE OF FLARES: So far today, solar activity is low. However, that could be the calm before the storm. The magnetic field of big sunspot AR1654 has grown more complex. It is now classified as a ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field, which means it harbors energy for X-class eruptions. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.
If there is a flare today, the blast would be Earth-directed. This sunrise shot, taken at dawn on Jan. 16th by Jan Koeman on the bank of the Westerschelde River in the Netherlands, shows how AR1654 (circled) is almost directly facing our planet:
“Sunspot complex AR1654-AR1656 was clearly visible through the clouds and mist,” says Koeman. “It was a wonderful sunrise even at -8 degrees celsius.”
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Incoming CME 10/31
MINOR CME IMPACT: A minor CME hit Earth’s magnetic field on Oct. 31st around 1500 UT. Polar geomagnetic storms are possible in the hours ahead.
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X-Flare Potential…
ALMOST-X FLARE: Today at 1814 UT, Earth-orbiting satellites detected an impulsive M9-class solar flare. The source was an active region just behind the sun’s southeastern limb. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash: image. Radio blackouts and ionization waves in the upper atmosphere are possible on the dayside of Earth as a result of this event. Stay tuned for updates.
from: spaceweather.com