Sun Unleashes First X-class Flare of 2014

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X1.2 Flare

X1.2 Flare 2014-01-07

Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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SDO Captures Release of X1.2 Class Solar Flare

This movie shows imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory as the sun emitted an X-class flare on Jan. 7, 2014. The movie shows light in the 1600 Angstrom wavelength showing both sunspots visible on the sun's surface and the flare in the solar atmosphere. NOTE: This video loops 4 times.

Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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NASA Releases Images of January Solar Flare

The sun emitted a significant solar flare peaking at 1:32 p.m. EST on Jan.7, 2014. This is the first significant flare of 2014, and follows on the heels of mid-level flare earlier in the day. Each flare was centered over a different area of a large sunspot group currently situated at the center of the sun, about half way through its 14-day journey across the front of the disk along with the rotation of the sun.

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CME Accompanies X-class Flare

The Jan. 7, 2014, X-class flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, or CME, another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.

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