Sun unleashes first X-class flare of 2014

  • Released Tuesday, January 7, 2014
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The sun emitted a significant solar flare peaking at 1:32 p.m. EST on Jan.7, 2014. This is the first significant flare of 2014, and follows on the heels of mid-level flare earlier in the day. Each flare was centered over a different area of a large sunspot group currently situated at the center of the sun, about half way through its 14-day journey across the front of the disk along with the rotation of the sun.

This flare is classified as an X1.2-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.

This movie shows imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory as the sun emitted an X-class flare on Jan. 7, 2014. The movie shows light in the 1600 angstrom wavelength, showing both sunspots visible on the sun's surface and the flare in the solar atmosphere.

Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

This closeup of the Sun taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows large sunspot AR1944 and the source area of the X1.2 class solar flare, which appears to be from adjacent, smaller sunspot AR1943.Image Credit:NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

This closeup of the Sun taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows large sunspot AR1944 and the source area of the X1.2 class solar flare, which appears to be from adjacent, smaller sunspot AR1943.

Image Credit:NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

This image shows light in the 1600 angstrom and 304 angstrom wavelengths, showing both sunspots visible on the sun's surface and the flare in the solar atmosphere. Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

This image shows light in the 1600 angstrom and 304 angstrom wavelengths, showing both sunspots visible on the sun's surface and the flare in the solar atmosphere.

Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard Space Flight Center

SDO HMI Continuum 4096x4096 video and frames from 0015 UT on January 2 to 2345 UT on January 13, 2014.

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Tuesday, January 7, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:51 PM EDT.

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  • 2014 Heliophysics Breaking News (ID: 2014015)
    Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 5:00AM
    Produced by - Robert Crippen (NASA)