July 29th, AR 1532 M1-Class Flare

The above image was taken July 29th at 06:22 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 94 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The M1-class solar flare may be seen at the lower left. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

The sun's Active Region 1532 (AR 1532) continues to rumble a bit. On July 29th at about 06:22 UTC (2:22 AM EDT), AR 1532 produced a M1-class solar flare. We see an extreme-ultraviolet view through the courtesy of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The M1-class flare may seem a little anticlimactic after the M6-class flare the previous day, be we won't complain. Since that time, the sun has produced a few C-class flares, but nothing more. We will continue to watch this feisty Active Region as it continues to turn toward Earth.

Back at home, the high-speed solar winds coming through that coronal hole are continuing to buffet Earth. NOAA forecasters estimate a 45 percent chance of polar geomagnetic storms over July 29th and 30th, so observers in the high latitudes should be on the lookout for possible aurora activity. The storm chances should then subside, as the coronal hole is expected to turn away from Earth by July 31st.

AR 1532 may be taking a breather, but we will keep an eye on the region with great interest. Stay tuned...

To monitor solar flare activity minute by minute, visit the "Today's Space Weather" page of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, URL: www.swpc.noaa.gov .

To learn more about the sun and to stay current on solar activity, visit the mission home pages of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov .

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