X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: An active sunspot is emerging over the sun's southeastern limb. It announced itself today with an X1.1-class solar flare (May 3rd @ 1325 UTUT). NASA's Solar Dynamocs Observatory (SDO) recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean and Europe: map. Signals below 30 MHz were attentuated for more than an hour.
In Argentina, photographer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau was already pointing his solar telescope at the sun when the flare occured. "At that very moment I was trying to photograph new sunspot AR3004," says Poupeau. "Suddenly I received an X-flare alert on my smartphone. I quickly switched to the sun's southeastern limb where debris thrown up by the flare was still very bright."
Click here to view a high resolution full-disk version of Poupeau's image.
The sunspot responsible for today's blast has been visible for less than a day. Already it has unleashed has unleashed 8+ solar flares (more than six Cs, one M and one X). Future flares will become increasingly geoeffective as the active region turns toward Earth. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
SDO movies of the flare: 304 Å, 131 Å, 171 Å, 193 Å
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