[John Mason]

Spaceweather has been covering this neatly. Looks like Cycle 24 is in business, now!

Cheers - John

[Bazmundo]

The X2 flare as seen by GOES 15, from Lockheed-Martin:

http://sdowww.lmsal....0206_66803/www/

Associated CME due going into Fri 18th Feb. SDO video of the flares and "halo" CME:

[Lorraine Evans]

An M6 flare has been recorded
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M6 1011 UT Feb18
24-hr: M6 1011 UT Feb18

[Anabolic North]

The sun certainly seems to be kicking off right now...much more activity.

http://sohowww.nasco...ent_c2small.gif

[Sam Jowett]

8 M Class flares in 2 days... the skies will be lighting up in the N in a couple of days! Need some X class flares to give us a chance further S really though...

[John Mason]

Or head to NW Scotland - if you can bloody afford it!

Most of my memorable Auroras have been seen from N of Ullapool, and very few indeed of any quality from lands further to the south!

Cheers - John

[scrapemedic]

Quote

Convective North - 8/3/2011 19:01

The sun certainly seems to be kicking off right now...much more activity.

http://sohowww.nasco...ent_c2small.gif

Wow, thats is a pretty impressive display of activity (which i have defined in my usual laymans way as puffs, arches, blow torches and where the hell did that piece of the sun disappear off to?). There was about four major ejections there, how does that compare to a normal week at this point in the solar cycle?

[Singo]

Another X class flare (just). These are coming at the right time of the year for best interaction with our magnetic field around the equinox. Just have to hope for clear viewing skies over the coming nights.

http://www.swpc.noaa...ts/xray_5m.html

[Dave Hancox]

Quote

Singo - 10/3/2011 00:00 Another X class flare (just). These are coming at the right time of the year for best interaction with our magnetic field around the equinox. Just have to hope for clear viewing skies over the coming nights. http://www.swpc.noaa...ts/xray_5m.html

 Be interesting to see if this one well set off some Aurora if heading our way. See it reached X1.5.

 http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_1m.html

[Dave Hancox]

Early indications is its heading straight at us. http://www.facebook....tle.SDO?sk=wall

[Bazmundo]

Quote

Singo - 10/3/2011 00:00

Another X class flare (just). These are coming at the right time of the year for best interaction with our magnetic field around the equinox. Just have to hope for clear viewing skies over the coming nights.

http://www.swpc.noaa...ts/xray_5m.html

There hasn't yet been a CME announced in conjunction with this flare, whether Earth-bound or not. X-rays from flares usually interact with our Ionosphere, causing radio blackouts, with intense radio emissions also causing GPS issues. Intense UV also fluffs up the Thermosphere. These types of radiation pass Earth within minutes of the eruption, however any coronal plasma trapped in the sunspots field lines when they break releases the CME, which takes days to arrive (we're currently waiting for the March 7th CME to graze us), before creating the weaknesses in the magnetoshock that allow charged particles in via polar field lines. The Feb 15th X-class flare had a very weak CME associated with it.

Just seen the SDO gif and there does appear to be some coronal material shed from the eruption. Will have to wait til the morning for updated SOHO imagery.

[Bazmundo]

Sunspot 1193 has potential for M-class flares apparently, worth keeping an eye on.

Found another nice site, but can't find their flare 'forecasts': http://www.solarmonitor.org/

[Dave Hancox]

Quote

Bazmundo - 19/4/2011 12:57 Sunspot 1193 has potential for M-class flares apparently, worth keeping an eye on. Found another nice site, but can't find their flare 'forecasts': http://www.solarmonitor.org/

 Good find added to bookmarks. 

[Dave Hancox]

Bit more activity again today C8.5 flare this morning. http://www.swpc.noaa...ts/xray_1m.html

[Dave Hancox]

New Sunspot 1226 is quite active producing C class flares and should give some activity over the next few days.  A nice C class flare was also produced this morning.

 

[skanky]

http://blogs.discove...ion/#more-32956

[Dave Hancox]

Quote

skanky - 7/6/2011 17:59 http://blogs.discove...ion/#more-32956

 Saw this shame it wasn't directed our way.

[skanky]

Quote

Dave Hancox - 7/6/2011 18:02

Quote

skanky - 7/6/2011 17:59 http://blogs.discove...ion/#more-32956

 Saw this shame it wasn't directed our way.

There's some more videos of it on YouTube. It's a very photogenic one.

[Dave Hancox]

It is heading our way after all could be Auroras on Thursday.

 http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/159290/20110608/nasa-earth-sun-solar-flare-radiation-storm-coronal-mass-ejection-auroras-thursday-solar-dynamics-obs.htm

 Video of flare here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uxuRity80wc

[PaulKn]

As I said on FB, Dave, I wonder why reporters use the word, 'tsunami' in such an appallingly bad way?