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SOLAR
EXPLOSION TO HIT EARTH TODAY/TOMORROW The
resulting high-energy particles from a large solar explosion that occurred yesterday
are expected by NOAA to hit Earth late today or tomorrow. Classified as a 'X-2
class flare' ('X' being the most powerful designation), the resulting radiative
discharge was pointed directly at Earth. The solar flare occurred on the Sun around
6:36 am ET yesterday and NOAA is predicting major to severe storm levels persisting
for 48 hours. Activity includes auroras in northern latitudes and can mean problems
for power grids and satellite and communication systems. RECENT
CME/FLARE DATA SUPPLIED TO NOAA
The first image shows the solar flare
in the lower left corner, classified as a brilliant Earth-directed X2.6-class
as seen by the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) aboard the SOHO spacecraft,
Monday at 6:36 am ET. The second sequence shows the resulting coronal mass ejection
(CME) hurling plasma toward Earth seen by the Large Angle & Spectrometric
Coronograph (LASCO) on SOHO, which views the Sun with an artificial eclipse. The
white particles in the image are the result of high-energy protons striking the
sensors of the LASCO cameras.
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| Image
2 | | Solar
sunspot imagery | SUNSPOT
GROUP
Usually
connected with sunspot activity, yesterday's flare occurred above the large sunspot
designated 9632. NOAA's Solar Environment Center reports that the sunspot region
which spans about 20 Earth diameters, is still a threat to produce more solar
activity. The region is seen toward the bottom of this image, taken with the Michelson
Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument aboard the SOHO spacecraft.
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| Image
3 | | Showing
the sun from solar minimum to solar maximum. | SOLAR
MAX
Like
the Earth, the Sun has seasons; July marked the midpoint, or "solar max"
of the eleven-year cycle. The max period (2-3 years) is reflected by the intense
and consistent solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), visible in this
comparison of 1996 and 2000 solar images. The Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
(EIT) aboard the SOHO spacecraft caught these solar images.
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| Image
4 | | SOHO
shows a solar flare. | CME
ANIMATION
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are violent discharges of electrically
charged gas from the Sun's corona. The largest explosions in the solar system,
CMEs launch up to 10 billion tons of ionized gas into space at speeds of one to
two million miles an hour. CMEs can cause magnetic storms by interacting with
the Earth's magnetic field, distorting its shape and accelerating electrically
charged particles tapped within. SOHO
SPACECRAFT
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) orbits the Sun
at a location approximately one million miles from Earth to gain an unobstructed
view of the Sun. It carries 12 instruments and is a joint NASA / European Space
Agency (ESA) mission. Back
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