Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Weekend Aurora Alert: The Sun Lets Loose an Earth-Directed CME

The Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this view as the Sun let loose with its biggest solar flare of the year so far. It’s not a real big one — a mid-level flare classified as an M6.5 – but an associated coronal mass ejection is heading towards Earth and could spur some nice auroae by this weekend. Spaceweather.com predicts the expanding cloud (see animation below) will probably deliver a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field late on April 12th or more likely April 13th. The NOAA Space Prediction Center forecasts this event to cause moderate (G2) Geomagnetic Storm activity, and predicts geomagnetic activity to start in the mid to latter part (UTC) of April 13. They add that the source region is still potent and well-positioned for more geoeffective activity in the next few days.

The magnetic field of sunspot AR1719 erupted on April 11th at 0716 UT, producing an M6-class solar flare. Coronagraph images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show a CME emerging from the blast site of the M6.5 solar flare. Credit: NASA
The magnetic field of sunspot AR1719 erupted on April 11th at 0716 UT, producing an M6-class solar flare. Coronagraph images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show a CME emerging from the blast site of the M6.5 solar flare. Credit: NASA

See this NASA page for info on solar flares, CMEs, and more.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M6.5 class flare at 3:16 am EDT on April 11, 2013. This image shows a combination of light in wavelengths of 131 and 171 Angstroms. Credit: NASA/SDO.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M6.5 class flare at 3:16 am EDT on April 11, 2013. This image shows a combination of light in wavelengths of 131 and 171 Angstroms. Credit: NASA/SDO.

3 Replies to “Weekend Aurora Alert: The Sun Lets Loose an Earth-Directed CME”

  1. Earlier today 04/11/’13, …”Ole-Man-Sol” let loose the biggest CME this year. I was at my computer gathering data, when, ….WHAM!…a good size CME was detected. We have not detected any significant harm, …’yet’.

  2. I’ve been watching the sun spots most every clear day this year with my solar projection scope…. FUN! And now finally there’s some action! That large spot just rotating out of view has made more than one complete revolution! When it came back around, it got a new sunspot number…. hmmmm. The STEREO mission satellites finally allows us to see sunspots on the far side. I THINK they should keep their original designation when they go round more than once.

    1. The company I work ‘with’, has such instrument(s). Glad to hear you got to use it. I laughed when you said, ..”finally there’s some action”. I know what you mean. With all the talk of the expected solar maximum, “Ole-Man-Sol finally burped. ..take care Aqua..

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