C1 X-Ray Flare on September 23rd!

The linked video presents a collection of images taken on September 23rd from 13:21:55 UTC through 15:49:43 UTC, by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) , at 304 Anstroms, aboard the  Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The images show a long-duration C1 x-ray flare from an area of enhanced emission located behind the east limb. The video was posted to YouTube by contributor "Howyouwoodoo". Image Credit: SDO/AIA

CLICK HERE to watch the video.

For the end of September 22nd and most of September 23rd, the solar activity was low. The largest event was a long-duration C1 x-ray flare on the 23rd at 15:56 UTC from an area of enhanced emission located behind the east limb. Active Region 1577 (AR 1577) gave the most change, developing numerous intermediate sunspots. The remaining regions were quiet and stable. And no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed. The forecast through September 26th: The solar activity is expected to be at low levels with a slight chance for M-class activity as active regions are expected to rotate onto the Earth-facing disc.

Above Earth, the geomagnetic field was at quiet levels.  The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite measurements indicated a steady decline in wind speed from about 400 km/s to near 350 km/s while the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field did not vary much beyond +/- 4 nT. The forecast through September 26th: The geomagnetic field is expected to be at predominately quiet levels. Stay tuned...

To monitor solar flare activity minute by minute, visit the "Today's Space Weather" page of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html).

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), the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) (sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) (www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE), and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) (stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov).

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