Browse Archive

  • solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012 as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in the 131 Angstrom wavelength

    Active Region on the Sun Emits Another Flare

    10.23.12 - The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at 11:17 p.m. EDT.

  • SDO's view of M5-class solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012

    Newly Named Sunspot AR1598 Releases M5 Class Solar Flare.

    10.22.12 - Newly named sunspot AR1598 has release an M5 class solar flare. This is the same region that released an M9 flare on Oct. 20, 2012.

  • The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 2:14 p.m. EDT on Oct. 20, 2012.

    A New Set of Solar Fireworks

    10.20.12 - The sun emitted a significant solar flare, an M9, peaking at 2:14 p.m. EDT on Oct. 20, 2012. The associated radio blackout, an R2, has subsided, reports NOAA.

  • Aurora over Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in the early hours of Oct. 8, 2012.

    Aurora from Oct. 8, 2012 CME

    10.08.12 - The CME release on Oct. 4, 2012 has generated a G2-level geomagnetic storm on Earth resulting in aurora in upper latitudes.

  • Aurora in Whitehorse Yukon Canada on Oct. 1 resulting from CME on Sept. 27.

    CME Causes Colorful Aurora

    10.01.12 - The CME launched by the sun on Sept. 27 resulted in aurora dipping into the continental U.S. as far south as Maryland and Ohio on Sept. 30, 2012.

  • Close-up of filament eruption.

    SDO Sees Massive Filament Eruption

    09.04.12 - On September 1, 2012, a long, whip-like filament erupted on the sun. The eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, caused aurora near Earth on September 3.

  • SDO recorded this view of an M5.6 class solar flare at 9:01pm EDT on August 17, 2012.

    Emerging Sunspot Releases Mid-level Solar Flare

    08.18.12 - An active region, just beginning to rotate into view, released an M5.6 class solar flare last night at 9:01pm EDT.

  • STEREO's view of the fastest CME to date, taken on July 23, 2012 at 3:54 UTC.

    STEREO Observes One of the Fastest CMEs On Record

    08.13.12 - On July 23, 2012, a massive cloud of solar material erupted off the sun. NASA Goddard scientists clocked the giant cloud, known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME, at speeds between 1,800 and 2,200 miles per second.

  • Image of a very long, whip-like solar filament extending over half a million miles in a long arc above the sun’s surface.

    One Half Million Mile Solar Filament

    08.10.12 - SDO sees a very long, whip-like solar filament extending over half a million miles in a long arc above the sun’s surface. Part of the filament seems to break away, but its basic length and shape seem to have remained mostly intact.

  • SDO captured this image of the M6.2 class solar flare on July 28, 2012.

    Sun Emits a Medium-Intensity Solar Flare

    07.30.12 - The sun emitted a mid-level flare, peaking at 4:55 PM EDT on July 28, 2012. This flare is classified as a M6.2 flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth.

  • Image captured by SDO on July 19, 2012 of M7.7 class solar flare.

    Sun Sends Out Mid-Level Solar Flare

    07.19.12 - The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare (M7.7) on July 19, 2012, beginning at 1:13 AM EDT and peaking at 1:58 AM.

  • Photo of the planetary Conjunction and auroras as seen from Albany, Missouri.

    CME Arrival Results in Aurora Show

    07.15.12 - The arrival of the CME associated with the July 12, 2012 X1.4 class flare, resulted in a geomagnetic storm that caused aurora to appear in lower latitudes than usual.

  • SDO captures M6.9 solar flare on July 7, 2012.

    Active Region 1515 Releases M6.9 Class Flare

    07.09.12 - As it turns away from Earth, AR1515 releases an M6.9 class solar flare.

  • Close-up of AR1515's X1.1 class solar flare

    Sun Releases X1.1 Class Flare

    07.07.12 - Anticipated for the past week, the sun finally releases an X1.1 class solar flare late on July 6.

  • Active Region 1515 unleased an M6.1 class solar flare at 7:38am EDT.

    Another M-class Flare from Sunspot 1515

    07.05.12 - Today's M6.1 solar flare, originating from behemoth sunspot AR1515, is the twelfth M-class flare from that region in the last 3 days.

  • Four view of the sun's M5.3 flare on July 4, 2012 at different temperatures.

    Independence Day Fireworks

    07.04.12 - Even the sun joins in America's Fourth of July celebration, with an M5.3 solar flare.

  • SDO captures M5.6 class solar flare early on July 2, 2012.

    Solar Fireworks on July 2

    07.03.12 - On July 2, 2012, an M5.6 class solar flare erupted from the sun, peaking at 6:52 AM EDT.