19 March 2024 - Mission Day: 10336 - DOY: 079
Pick of The Week
 
 

Strong X-3 flare (August 28, 2002)

  • Higher resolution version (TIF,4.0M)
  • Early on August 24, 2002 a powerful X-3 flare erupted above the surface of the Sun near the large sunspot area of AR 69. It was first observed by SOHO's EIT 195Å instrument as a large white flash near 1:13 UT (in the boxed area of the green Sun). Not long afterward (1:50 UT) the flare and an associated coronal mass ejection can be seen in LASCO's C2 instrument (red background image). There the Sun is blocked out so that scientists can observe activity like this in the corona. The series of blue images show the corona as the particle clouds expands out into space over the next four hours. The numerous white specks indicate a storm of high-energy protons, propelled out by the flare, were striking SOHO's imaging detector, the signature markings of a radiation storm. The storm lasted about two days and probably caused some communication problems here on Earth.

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