Sun Unleashes X6.9 Class Flare on August 9, 2011
On August 9, 2011 at 3:48 a.m. EDT, the sun emitted an Earth-directed X6.9 flare, as measured by the NOAA GOES satellite. These gigantic bursts of radiation cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, however they can disrupt the atmosphere and disrupt GPS and communications signals. In this case, it appears the flare is strong enough to potentially cause some radio communication blackouts. It also produced increased solar energetic proton radiation — enough to affect humans in space if they do not protect themselves.
As of March 2014, this flare is the largest of solar cycle 24.
The August 9th, 2011 X6.9 flare as seen by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead spacecraft at 8:06UT in 304 angstrom light. STEREO A's position ahead of the Earth gives it a different perspective of the sun, so the flare appears closer to the center of the disk instead of at the edge.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/STEREO
The August 9th, 2011 X6.9 flare as seen by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead spacecraft at 8:06UT in 195 angstrom light. STEREO A's position ahead of the Earth gives it a different perspective of the sun, so the flare appears closer to the center of the disk instead of at the edge.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/STEREO
The August 9th, 2011 X6.9 flare as seen by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead spacecraft at 8:06UT in 171 angstrom light. STEREO A's position ahead of the Earth gives it a different perspective of the sun, so the flare appears closer to the center of the disk instead of at the edge.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/STEREO
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual images should be credited as indicated above.
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Writer
- Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Producer
- Scott Wiessinger (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Looking Back: The Record Flare for Solar Cycle 24
Read moreOn August 9, 2011 at 3:48 a.m. EDT, the sun emitted an Earth-directed X6.9 flare, as measured by the NOAA GOES satellite. These gigantic bursts of radiation cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, however they can disrupt the atmosphere and disrupt GPS and communications signals. In this case, it appears the flare is strong enough to potentially cause some radio communication blackouts. It also produced increased solar energetic proton radiation — enough to affect humans in space if they do not protect themselves.As of March 2014, this flare is the largest of solar cycle 24.Here are the raw images used in creating the components in Sun Unleashes X6.9 Class Flare on August 9, 2011 ||
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