NASA: The Sun Erupts - July. 12 - Beautiful views - Hermosas vistas
Posted by Ricardo Marcenaro | Posted in NASA: The Sun Erupts - July. 12 - Beautiful views - Hermosas vistas | Posted on 3:01
131 Å
acquired July 12, 2012
download large 131 Å image (10 MB, JPEG, 4096x4237)
acquired July 12, 2012
download 131 Å web resolution animation (3 MB, QuickTime)
acquired July 12, 2012
download 131 Å high definition animation (146 MB, QuickTime)
171 Å
acquired July 12, 2012
download large 171 Å image (4 MB, JPEG, 4096x4237)
acquired July 12, 2012
download 171 Å web resolution animation (4 MB, QuickTime)
acquired July 12, 2012
download 171 Å high definition animation (29 MB, QuickTime)
Twelve years after the Earth was buffeted by one of the more potent Sun storms in modern history, our nearest star crackled with activity again. A solar flare erupted on July 12, 2012, followed closely by a companion coronal mass ejection
(CME)—a cloud of magnetically charged particles and energy that can
disturb Earth’s magnetic field, disrupt satellites and ground-based
electronics, and provoke auroras.
The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured these views of the flare in the Sun’s southern hemisphere on July 12, 2012. The top, global image shows the Sun as viewed at 131 Angstroms; the lower, close-up view is 171 Angstroms. Both ultraviolet wavelengths help solar physicists study the fine magnetic structures in the Sun’s super-heated atmosphere, or corona. The yellow and teal are false colors chosen by the science team to distinguish between the spectral bands. Download the movies linked beneath each image to see the active region develop and erupt.
The flare was classified as X1.4, with X being the highest class of flares (A,B,C,M, and X). At 16:52 Universal Time (UTC) on July 12, the explosion launched a stream of particles (solar energetic protons) toward Earth, where they arrived in the upper atmosphere just hours after the eruption. Several outlets reported minor disturbances to Global Positioning System signals and radio blackouts at high latitudes. This is the sixth X-class flare of 2012, a year that could be the peak of the current 11-year solar cycle.
The flare and CME (not visible in the images above) arose from solar active region 1520, which was centered on the solar face and pointed toward Earth. According to scientists at NASA’s space weather modeling center, the CME was traveling toward Earth at 1480 kilometers (850 miles) per second and predicted to arrive around 09:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time) on July 14, plus or minus seven hours. The NASA scientists suggested the event could produce a moderate to severe geomagnetic storm of Kp 6–8 on the planetary magnetic (Kp) index that runs from 0 to 9.
Official forecasters at the NOAA Space Weather Center noted at 13:15 UTC on July 13: “The latest model run now indicates the CME associated with yesterday's R3 (strong) radio blackout event will impact the earth's magnetic field around 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC) on Saturday, July 14. SWPC is forecasting category G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm activity then, with a chance of G2 (moderate) levels at times through July 15. The S1 (minor) solar radiation storm persists just above event threshold. Region 1520 has decayed in the past 12 hours, but is still potentially eruptive.”
The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured these views of the flare in the Sun’s southern hemisphere on July 12, 2012. The top, global image shows the Sun as viewed at 131 Angstroms; the lower, close-up view is 171 Angstroms. Both ultraviolet wavelengths help solar physicists study the fine magnetic structures in the Sun’s super-heated atmosphere, or corona. The yellow and teal are false colors chosen by the science team to distinguish between the spectral bands. Download the movies linked beneath each image to see the active region develop and erupt.
The flare was classified as X1.4, with X being the highest class of flares (A,B,C,M, and X). At 16:52 Universal Time (UTC) on July 12, the explosion launched a stream of particles (solar energetic protons) toward Earth, where they arrived in the upper atmosphere just hours after the eruption. Several outlets reported minor disturbances to Global Positioning System signals and radio blackouts at high latitudes. This is the sixth X-class flare of 2012, a year that could be the peak of the current 11-year solar cycle.
The flare and CME (not visible in the images above) arose from solar active region 1520, which was centered on the solar face and pointed toward Earth. According to scientists at NASA’s space weather modeling center, the CME was traveling toward Earth at 1480 kilometers (850 miles) per second and predicted to arrive around 09:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time) on July 14, plus or minus seven hours. The NASA scientists suggested the event could produce a moderate to severe geomagnetic storm of Kp 6–8 on the planetary magnetic (Kp) index that runs from 0 to 9.
Official forecasters at the NOAA Space Weather Center noted at 13:15 UTC on July 13: “The latest model run now indicates the CME associated with yesterday's R3 (strong) radio blackout event will impact the earth's magnetic field around 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC) on Saturday, July 14. SWPC is forecasting category G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm activity then, with a chance of G2 (moderate) levels at times through July 15. The S1 (minor) solar radiation storm persists just above event threshold. Region 1520 has decayed in the past 12 hours, but is still potentially eruptive.”
-
Related Reading
- Carlowicz, M., and Lopez, R. (2002) Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather. The Joseph Henry Press. Accessed July 13, 2012.
- NASA (n.d.) Goddard Space Weather Center. Accessed July 13, 2012.
- NASA (2012, July 12) Big Sunspot 1520 Releases X1.4 Class Flare With Earth-Directed CME. Accessed July 13, 2012.
- NOAA (n.d.) Space Weather Prediction Service. Accessed July 13, 2012.
- Science@NASA (2000, December 22) Watching the Angry Sun. Accessed July 13, 2012.
Images by
NASA/SDO/AIA. Animations by Robert Simmon. Caption by Mike Carlowicz,
with background information from Karen Fox, NASA Heliophysics News Team.
- Instrument:
- SDO - AIA
NASA: The Sun Erupts - July. 12 - Beautiful views - Hermosas vistas
Ricardo M Marcenaro - Facebook
Operative blogs of The Solitary Dog:
solitary dog sculptor:
http://byricardomarcenaro.blogspot.com
Solitary Dog Sculptor I:
http://byricardomarcenaroi.blogspot.com
Para:
comunicarse conmigo,
enviar materiales para publicar,
propuestas:
marcenaroescultor@gmail.com
For:
contact me,
submit materials for publication,
proposals:
marcenaroescultor@gmail.com
Diario La Nación
Argentina
Cuenta Comentarista en el Foro:
Capiscum
My blogs are an open house to all cultures, religions and countries. Be a follower if you like it, with this action you are building a new culture of tolerance, open mind and heart for peace, love and human respect.
Thanks :)
Mis blogs son una casa abierta a todas las culturas, religiones y países. Se un seguidor si quieres, con esta acción usted está construyendo una nueva cultura de la tolerancia, la mente y el corazón abiertos para la paz, el amor y el respeto humano.
Gracias :)
Comments (0)
Publicar un comentario