M-Class Flare On Its Way

NASA Space Science News

M-Class Flare On Its Way

Sunspot group 9393 unleashed an M7-class solar flare on Thursday at 1310 UT. The explosion also hurled a full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME, pictured right) into space. The CME could trigger geomagnetic activity, including auroras, when it arrives late Saturday or Sunday.

Active region 9393 (aka 9433) now covers an area equivalent to more than six planet Earths. The big spot has a twisted beta-gamma-delta magnetic field that likely harbors energy for X-class solar flares. You can see AR9393 for yourself, but be careful! Staring directly at the Sun causes permanent eye damage. Instead, use a safe solar projector or filter to see the behemoth spot.