Intensified solar activities – M1 solar flare and space directed CME

Solar activities intensified again yesterday with bright coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by M1 solar flare.  Sunspot 1410 located in the northwest quadrant produced a moderate solar flare, reaching M1.0 at 20:00 UTC Monday afternoon. The flare was about an hour long in duration, and is not Earth directed.

M1 solar flare produces CME (Credit: SOHO/SpaceWeather) X-ray flux showing M1 solar flare (Source: GOES-NOAA/SWPC)

 

New images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) show that this was a frontside event. The explosion occured when a magnetic filament draped over the sun’s northeastern limb rose up and snapped. An extreme UV movie from SDO shows the structure lifting off.

CURRENT CONDITIONS:
(Feb. 7, 08:50UTC)

Solar wind
speed:  528.1 km/sec
density: 2.0 protons/cm³

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 103 sfu

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2 quiet

Interplanetary Mag. Field
B_total: 7.3 nT
B_z: 6 nT south 

Joint USAF/NOAA Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity  06 Feb 2012

Solar activity was moderate. Region 1410 (N17W67) produced an M1 x-ray flare at 06/2000Z. Solar activity is likely to be low with a chance ebruary) after Region 1410 transits off the west limb of the solar disk.The geomagnetic field was mostly quiet.The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet for days 1-2 (7-8 February). Activity should increase to unsettled and active levels late on day 3 (9 February) from the onset of coronal hole high speed stream effects.