Moderately strong M3.4 solar flare erupted from eastern limb

Moderately strong solar flare reaching M3.4 at its peak time erupted on August 21, 2014. The event started 13:19, peaked at 13:31 and ended at 13:42 UTC. 

The source was new active region located on the eastern limb. If Coronal Mass Ejection was generated by this event it would likely be directed away from Earth.

This region produced several C-class solar flares in last 24 hours and is likely to produce more.

NOAA SWPC forecasters estimate 10% chance for M-class, and 1% chance for X-class solar flare in next two days.

Sunspots

There are currently 7 numbered sunspot regions on the disk. 

Region 2146 (N10E14, Cso/beta) grew during in last 24 hours and was responsible for two notable events. The first was a C2/Sf flare at 20/2157 UTC.  This event was accompanied by a darkening to the west and south in SDO/AIA 193 imagery. At 20/2348 UTC, a very faint CME was observed emerging from the east limb in SOHO/LASCO C2 imagery with an approximate plane of sky speed of 200-300 km/s.

The second event was a B8/Sf flare from the same region at 21/0855 UTC. Another darkening and westward propagating wave was evident in SDO/AIA 193 imagery at 21/0848 UTC.

Subsequent coronagraph imagery has not yet been received. Regions 2148 (N05E34, Dac/beta) and 2143 (S06W33, Dai/beta) also grew during last 24 hours, and Region 2148 was responsible for three low-level C-flares. 

The remaining regions were stable or decaying.  Additional analysis of coronagraph imagery, and modeling if possible, will be undertaken to ascertain any threat from the events described above. (SWPC at 12:30 UTC on August 21, 2014)

Sunspots on August 21, 2014. Image credit: NASA SDO / HMI

2139 – Beta
2141 – Beta
2143 – Beta
2144 – Beta
2146 – Beta
2147 – Beta
2148 – Beta

Featured image: NASA SDO AIA 131 at 13:28 UTC on August 21, 2014.