Two Solar Storms Arrive June 16, No Major Disruptions Anticipated

This movie from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows the M class flare on June 14, 2012 from 9:15 AM to 2:00 PM EDT. The sun is shown here in teal as this is the color typically used to represent light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength particularly good for observing flares. 

Credit: NASA/SDO

An active region on the sun, numbered AR 1504, rotated into view over the left side of the sun on June 10, 2012. The region fired off two M-class flares and two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on June 13 and June 14, 2012. The first flare lasted for a relatively long three hours, peaking on June 13, 2012 at 9:17 AM EDT. The associated CME traveled at approximately 375 miles per second and is directed toward Earth, though due to its slow speed, the effect on Earth is expected to be minimal.

The second M-class flare was also a long-duration flare, and it peaked on June 14, 2012 at 10:08 AM EDT. The CME associated with this flare is traveling much faster – preliminary analysis at Goddard's Space Weather Center indicates it is traveling at speeds of approximately 800 miles per second. It is traveling toward Earth, and could also impact Mars and the Spitzer spacecraft.

Active Region 1504 has been active since rotating into view.

 Credit: SDO/HMI 

The Space Weather Center models estimate that both CMEs will arrive on June 16.

We will provide updates if AR1504 generates additional space weather.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M1.2 class flare on June 13, 2012. The sun is shown here in teal as this is the color typically used to represent light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength particularly good for observing flares.

 Credit: NASA/SDO

The Sun is a magnetic variable star at the center of our solar system that drives the space environment of the planets, including the Earth. The distance of the Sun from the Earth is approximately 93 million miles. At this distance, light travels from the Sun to Earth in about 8 minutes and 19 seconds. The Sun has a diameter of about 865,000 miles, about 109 times that of Earth. Its mass, about 330,000 times that of Earth, accounts for about 99.86% of the total mass of the Solar System. About three quarters of the Sun's mass consists of hydrogen, while the rest is mostly helium. Less than 2% consists of heavier elements, including oxygen, carbon, neon, iron, and others. The Sun is neither a solid nor a gas but is actually plasma. This plasma is tenuous and gaseous near the surface, but gets denser down towards the Sun's fusion core.

The image gives a basic overview of the Sun’s parts. The cut-out shows the three major interior zones: the core (where energy is generated by nuclear reactions), the radiative zone (where energy travels outward by radiation through about 70% of the Sun), and the convection zone (where convection currents circulate the Sun’s energy to the surface). The surface features (flare, sunspots and photosphere, chromosphere, and the prominence) are all clipped from actual SOHO images of the Sun. 

Credit: NASA/SOHO

Contacts and sources: 

Karen C. Fox
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD