Filament Eruption & Earth Directed CME ! A magnetic filament which was in an earth facing position has become unstable and lifted off the solar corona. The resulting eruption produced a Full Halo Coronal Mass Ejection headed earths way. Although its too early to tell but it does appear that the CME will impact the earth sometime May 15. Meanwhile Active Region 11476 is starting to show signs of decay in the rear trailer spots but might get its act together to produce some strong flares just before it rotates off the disk in 3-4 days.
HUGE SUNSPOT COMETH !! A New active Active Region (11476) has rotated the north-eastern limb of the solar corona and is crackling with C-Class and M-Class flares. So far three M-Class flares have been recorded in the last 12 hours. M1.4 at 13:29, M1.3 at 24:04 and an M1.2 at 01:30 this morning.
Three Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's) have been observed May 5th heading towards the earth from the southwest limb, the first CME has a slight Earth-directed component, and is expected to brush the earths magnetic field late May 7th,
X 5.4-FLARE !! The second strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 24 and the Second X-Flare from Active Region 11429. This major event measured X 5.4 at 00:24 UTC and triggered a strong R3 Level Radio Blackout. A coronal mass ejection was captured shortly after and is likely to be headed earths way. more information shortly.
X5.4 Flare + Earth Directed CME / Solar Watch March 7, 2012
DOUBLE TROUBLE X 5.4 + X 1.3 SOLAR FLARES !! The second strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 24 and the Second X-Flare from Active Region 11429, after further investigation there may have been a double X Flare as another spike was registered shortly after the initial X 5.4 event with an X 1.3 at 1:14 UTC. This major event measured X 5.4 at 00:24 UTC and triggered a strong R3 Level Radio Blackout. A coronal mass ejection was captured shortly after and is likely to be headed earths way. more information shortly. The expected CME from March 4 has impacted the earths magnetic field moments ago, causing the Bz component of the IMP to deviate sharply southward to - 20 nT. Geomagnetic storm should result. A strong Proton event is now in progress.
X1.1 Solar Flare + CME / Solar Watch March 5, 2012
X-FLARE !! Solar activity is now high. Big sunspot AR11429, which emerged on March 2nd, is crackling with strong flares. The strongest so far, an X1-class eruption, occured just ths morning, March 5th at 0413 UT. The explosion also hurled a bright coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. The expanding cloud will probably deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on March 7th. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead.
