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Sun Produces Strongest Flare Ever Recorded

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bring-me-a-keiser-helmet dept.

idontneedanickname writes "The BBC is reporting about the newest flare unleashed by the sun. According to NASA's SOHO website, "Today word came from the SEC that their best estimate was X28. We have a new number 1 X-ray flare for the record books." As usual there are magnificent images to be admired." This one's not headed straight for us...

9 of 422 comments (clear)

  1. Other source by DJ+Rubbie · · Score: 5, Informative

    Space.com covered. it yesterday, with an update today. The bottom of the article has two cool animated gif's that showed the X-ray sensor blinded after the flare, and the subsequent coronal mass that was ejected.

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  2. The high activity may repeat in two weeks by poszi · · Score: 5, Informative

    The sunspots that produced these powerful flares during last days moved across the solar limb. They are now on the far side of the Sun. However, such huge suspots can last quite long and it is likely they will still be active after two weeks when the appear again on the side of the Sun facing Earth.

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  3. sun cam by Major_Small · · Score: 3, Informative

    there's actually a webcam pointed at the sun... i'ts updated every 4 hours and can be found here.

    According to Space.com: The image is generated by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, which sits partway between Earth and the Sun.

  4. Here's a good Q&A by GFW · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, sunspots are systems far larger than and completely unaffected by any normal infalling material. Here's a good Q&A at space.com covering the flares in general.

  5. GOES Graph Showing Saturation by mikewren420 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Don't know if anyone else saved the GOES XRay Flux image:

    http://cyberial.com/images/cme.gif

    Pretty impressive saturation!

  6. Astronomy picture of the day by rodney+dill · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... and as usual the Astronomy Picture of the Day, already has a good picture posted

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  7. Re:Too bad it isn't heading this way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You gotta be looking up at the right time!

    I live in southern Germany, and last Thursday night at about 10:00 pm CET was absolutely the most spectacular auroral display - the whole northern section of the sky was bright red/orange with streaks of bright light fading in and out that looked like searchlights.

    The whole thing was over in 45 minutes to an hour, but definitely unforgettable...

  8. Re:Impressive, by barakn · · Score: 4, Informative

    Beryllium, not barium.

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  9. Re: X scale by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    My question is this: What do the numbers mean? Is it like the richter scale ( powers of 10 ) or what?

    X-Ray flux is measured in Watts per square meter (averaged out over a period of time, usually over a minute).

    10^-8 is the lower threshhold of an A-Class
    10^-7 is the lower threshhold of a B-Class
    10^-6 is the lower threshhold of a C-Class
    10^-5 is the lower threshhold of a M-Class
    10^-4 is the lower threshhold of a X-Class
    10^-3 is the lower threshhold of a X10-Class
    10^-2 would be the lower threshhold of an X100-Class

    So, the X-28 flare saturated the detectors of the GOES satellites with 0.0028 W/m^2 energy.