New sunspot 1163 doesn't look very impressive, but the M3-class flare it unleashed yesterday was absolutely spectacular. Click Eastern Blast to download a movie recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. When the eruption occurred, sunspot 1163 was…
A significant active region is set to emerge over the sun's northeastern limb. The underlying sunspots are not yet visible from Earth, but the region's towering magnetic canopy is already in view. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) took this picture…
For the past week, all eyes have been on the Earth-side of the sun, where sunspots 1158 and 1161-1162 have unleashed some of the strongest flares in years. Meanwhile, the farside of the Sun has been busy, too. Here is the movie from NASA's STEREO-B probe…
Plasma cloud from the first X-class solar flare of Solar Cycle 24 (X2.3 on February 15, 2011) is headed our way. It is expected to arrive around February 17. 2011/02/15, at 07:07 UTC – PRESTO-alert: NOAA AR 1158 has produced an X2.3 flare peaking at 01:56 UTC,…
Earth-orbiting satellites detected an X2.3 solar flare at 01:56 UTC on February 14, 2011. This is the most powerful solar flare in nearly five years, and the first X-class solar flare of Solar Cycle 24. The source was behemoth sunspot 1158.
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