Categories: AstrophotosSolar Astronomysun

Sun Erupts with Spectacular Flares

A digital filtergram shows a type 4B Flare with an X-ray class of X-2 in active region 1283 on Sept. 6, 2011. Credit: Monty Leventha

The Sun sent two flares yesterday from active region 1283. This video shows the second flare, at 6:12 p.m. EDT (2212 GMT) on Tuesday an even bigger flare than the M-class flare from early on Sept. 6, at about 0150 GMT. This was an X-class flare, major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. The latest update says the CMEs could sail north of Earth, delivering a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field, and could arrive between September 8 -10. Spaceweather.com says high-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead.

The image below was sent in to Universe Today by Monty Leventhal showing the type 4B Flare with an X-ray class of X-2 in active region 1283.

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Here are the details and equipment Monty used:

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Date:- 6-9-11
Time:- 22.05 U.T.
Conditions:- Poor
Camera:- Canon 300D
Filter:- H-alpha. 6Å.
Telescope:- Meade S.C. 10 inch

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/