Huge Sunspot

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 3, 201: http://spaceweather.com

HUGE SUNSPOT: One of the biggest sunspot groups in many years has just emerged over the sun's eastern limb. The sunspot's magnetic canopy is crackling with M-class (medium-sized) solar flares and seems poised to launch even stronger X-class eruptions. The sunspot, named AR1339, is not yet directly facing Earth but it will be turning toward our planet in the days ahead. Check http://spaceweather.com for images of the behemoth and updates.

SUNSPOT TELESCOPE: Sunspot AR1339 looks magnificent when viewed through Explore Scientific's White Light Solar Observing System. This safely-filtered telescope is designed for high-quality imaging of sunspots and it is now available in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/

SDO Video: X2 C2 Combo - Feb. 15, 2011

On Feb. 15, 2011 an X2 class x-ray solar flare was observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Below is a video from the SDOmission2009 YouTube channel of the of the eruption:



Here is the description of the video from the SDOmission2009 page:

"The X2 flare of Feb. 15, 2011 seen by SDO (in extreme ultraviolet light) enlarged and superimposed on SOHO's coronagraph that shows the faint edge of a "halo" coronal mass ejection as it races away from the Sun. The video covers about 11 hours."

You can find more videos from the Solar Dynamics Observatory at SDOmission2009.

"Radio-Active" Solar Flare

Source - Space Weather News for Feb. 14, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

EARTH-DIRECTED SOLAR ACTIVITY: Solar activity increased sharply over the weekend with the eruption of an M6.6-class solar flare from behemoth sunspot 1158. The blast produced a strong burst of radio waves heard in the loudspeakers of shortwave receivers around the dayside of our planet, and it appears to have hurled a faint coronal mass ejection toward Earth. Sights and sounds from the event are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms erupt in your area? Sign up for http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice) or http://spaceweathertext.com (text) for space weather alerts.

Double Blast on the Sun

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 28, 2011: http://spaceweather.com

DOUBLE BLAST: This morning, a spectacular double eruption on the sun produced the strongest solar flare of the year so far (an M1-class event). Plasma clouds produced by the event are expected to miss Earth, so no geomagnetic storms are in the offing. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com highlights movies captured by SOHO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

STRANGE LIGHT PILLARS: A photographer has recorded extraordinary pillars of light shooting into the night sky from a corn mill in Nebraska. The tall luminous columns were capped with nested V-shaped tops that distinguish them from ordinary urban light pillars. Check http://spaceweather.com for must-see photos and an explanation of the icy phenomenon.

TEXT MESSAGES FROM THE SUN: Would you like a text message when the sun flares and geomagnetic storms erupt? Sign up for our new alert service, SpaceWeather Text: http://spaceweathertext.com .

Volcanic Eruption Photographed from Space

Source - Space Weather News for June 26, 2009: http://spaceweather.com

VOLCANIC VISTAS: On June 12th, astronauts onboard the International Space Station watched in amazement as Russia's Sarychev Peak volcano erupted directly beneath their spacecraft. The rare photo they took is a must-see. An enormous sulfur dioxide plume from the eruption is now circumnavigating the globe at northern latitudes, producing spectacular sunsets for international air travelers. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com features 3D photos of the eruption from space, satellite movies of the sulfur dioxide plume, and a Mars-like view of the volcanic cloud over the Canadian Arctic.