Saturday, August 17, 2013

M3.3 Solar Flare Detected 08/17/2013

M3.3 Solar Flare Detected + CME 08/17/2013
The solar X-Rays are alive again. A moderate M3.3 class solar flare peaking at 18:24 UTC Saturday afternoon was observed around Sunspot 1818. The initial flare itself was fairly impulsive in nature, however the solar X-Rays soon rose above the M1 threshold as magnetic activity surrounding the region continued to reverberate. The flare was associated with a 10cm Radio Burst (TenFlare) lasting 25 minutes and measuring 150 solar flux units. Type II and IV sweep frequency events were also detected, including a Type II radio emission with a velocity of 1399 km/s. Stay Tuned for updates regarding a CME.

CME UPDATE: A coronal mass ejection (CME) is now confirmed in the latest coronagraph imagery released by STEREO Ahead and Lasco. The plasma cloud is very bright, but appears that a majority of the ejected material was directed to the south and west. An Earth directed component is possible however. Stay tuned for the latest updates.