M5 SOLAR FLARE

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Active sunspot 1121 has just unleashed one of the brightest x-ray
solar flares in years, an M5.4-class eruption at 15:36 UT on Nov. 6th.

Radiation from the flare created a wave of ionization in Earth's upper
atmosphere that altered the propagation of low-frequency radio waves.
There was, however, no bright CME (plasma cloud) hurled in our
direction, so the event is unlikely to produce auroras in the nights
ahead. This is the third M-flare in as many days, and the strongest,
from this increasingly active sunspot. So far none of the eruptions
has been squarely Earth-directed, but this could change in the days
ahead as the sun's rotation turns the active region toward our planet.

http://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=06&month=11&year=2010

Flare Classification: http://spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html

--
Remember The Past, Live The Present, Change The Future
Those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the
future [JFK]

kand...@gmail.com
Live Long and Prosper,
Andrey