M2.1 Solar Flare and CME

Sunspot Region 1494 produced an M2.1 s/f peaking at 20:06 UTC on June 6, 2012.  The SDO, Stereo, and SOHO spacecraft confirm  a CME associated with this flare.  Although a large portion of the ejecta from this CME was propelled south of the ecliptic, at this time it appears this CME will have a geomagnetic effect on Earth as it passes in  2-3 days.

 Type II (est. speed 1148 km/s) and Type IV radio sweeps were also emitted with this flare.

In this image of the X-Flux we can see the M2.1 flare as it was recorded by the GOES Satellites.

In this STEREO Ahead C 2 image we clearly see the CME as it is ejected away from the solar disk.  Notice that a large portion of the material is ejected south of the ecliptic away from Earth, but a clearly defined amount of material is also ejected in a full sweep.

In the video below created from SDO Composits of AIA 131, 211, and 335, you can watch this spectacular event unfold as Region 1494 (located south of the ecliptic just right to the center of the disk), unleashes this flare and CME in an Earthward direction.

Venus Transit

   This is the last time we will view a transit of Venus across the solar disk in any of our lifetimes.  The next transit of Venus will not happen again untill December 11, 2117.   The nearly 7 hour event can be seen in it's entierty from the western pacific, eastern Asia and eastern Austrailia.  Other parts of the globe will be able to view part of the transit.  You can view the transit live as NASA EDGE is brodcastsing the event here live Venus transit . The NASA EDGE team and the Sun-Earth Day team are broadcasting this last of a lifetime event live from the top of Mount Mauna Kea, Hawaii, through their partnership with the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy.

   To the left of this post are images from SDO in varying wavelengths, as Venus began transiting across the solar disk today.

Below you can view a time-lapse video from SDO of Venus transiting the Sun today as well. 

C Class LDE, CME & Proton Event (NOAA Scale S1)

    On May 26, 2012 at approximately 20:47 UTC, a large backside solar eruption occured off of the far west limb of the solar disk producing a backside asymetrical halo CME observed by SOHO LASCO C/2 and C/3.This CME is not expected to be geoeffective. Along with this eruption, Type II, and Type IV radio emmissions were observed. This event began a 10 MeV proton event (NOAA Scale S1), Solar Radiation Storm, that onset May 27 05:05 UTC, with potential impacts being "Minor impacts on polar HF (high frequency) radio propagation resulting in fades at lower frequencies".

   This Event was followed by a LDE (Long Duration Event), C 3.1 flare from Region 1492, lasting from 04:35 untill 07:00 UTC May 27, 2012. This LDE further elevated the proton count ending with a 10 MeV proton event that peaked at 2012 May 27 10:45 UTC, End Time: 2012 May 27 1235 UTC, Maximum 10MeV Flux: 14 pfu. Along with this LDE C class flare there was a CME eruption observed from SOHO Lasco C/2 and C/3. Although not highly Earth directed, CMEs produced from this region of the solar surface generally provide Earth with a "glancing blow", so we expect to see an uptic in geomanetic activity with its arrival May 29th - 30th.

M+ Flare As GOES Xray Data Stops Updating

Updated @ 04:13 UTC Thursday May 17:

   At 01:25 UTC Thursday, May 17 there was a significant rise in the GOES Xray flux. The rise quickly reached the M4.6 range @ 01:42 UTC coming from around sunspot region 1476. That is where the data stuck at and stopped updating. At this time, 02:17 UTC, the Xray fluc appears to still be stuck at the M4.6 range and data is still not updating. Looking at solar images for the time of the M4.6 occurred @ 01:42, and comparing the images to after the moment the Xray flux froze, it would appear that there may have been a X flare. We are still going over image data and searching for any info on why GOES stuck and stopped updating. we will post any and all info we find. Stay tuned for updates to follow.

   Here we can see where the GOES Xray flux stuck and stopped updating.

   GOES came back online showing data that would show we had a M5.1 solar flare peaking @ 01:47 UTC. According to the GOES data, the flare peaked 1 min after the GOES Xray flux went offline. Though we can clearly see the flare become much brighter for up to a half hour after the flare began, and even after the GOES data stopped updating. More images to come. hold tight