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Credit & Copyright: NASA,
Solar Dynamics Observatory, GSFC
Explanation:
Swinging around the Sun's eastern limb on Monday,
a group of sunspots labeled active region AR1748 has produced the
first four X-class solar flares of 2013
in less than 48 hours.
In time sequence clockwise from the top left,
flashes from the four were captured in extreme ultraviolet images
from the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Ranked
according
to their peak brightness in X-rays, X-class flares
are the most powerful class and are frequently accompanied by
coronal
mass ejections (CMEs),
massive clouds of high energy plasma launched into space.
But CMEs from the first three flares were not Earth-directed,
while one associated with the fourth flare may deliver a
glancing blow to the
Earth's magnetic field
on May 18.
Also causing temporary radio blackouts, AR1748 is likely not finished.
Still forecast
to have a
significant chance
of producing
strong flares, the active region is rotating
into more direct view
across the Sun's nearside.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: solar flare
Publications with words: solar flare
See also: