Sun ID: 12706

A Powerful Sequence of Flares Start September 2017

Released on September 6, 2017

There is a newer version of this story located here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4491

Active region 2673 emitted a series of flares in early September, 2017, including:
--an M5.5 at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4, 2017
--an X2.2 at 5:10 a.m. EDT on Sept. 6, 2017
--an X9.3 at 8:02 a.m. EDT on Sept. 6, 2017
--an M7.3 at 6:15 a.m. EDT on Sept. 7, 2017
--an X1.3 at 10:36 a.m. EDT on Sept. 7, 2017
--an M8.1 at 3:49 a.m. EDT on Sept. 8, 2017
--an X8.2 at 12:47 p.m. EDT on Sept. 10, 2017

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured images of the events. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

To see how this event may affect Earth, please visit NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center at http://spaceweather.gov, the U.S. government's official source for space weather forecasts, alerts, watches and warnings.

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.

The X9.3 flare was the largest flare so far in the current solar cycle, the approximately 11-year-cycle during which the sun’s activity waxes and wanes. The current solar cycle began in December 2008, and is now decreasing in intensity and heading toward solar minimum. This is a phase when such eruptions on the sun are increasingly rare, but history has shown that they can nonetheless be intense.

September 10, X8.2

An X8.2 class solar flare flashes in the edge of the Sun on Sept. 10, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 304 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

An X8.2 class solar flare flashes in the edge of the Sun on Sept. 10, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 131 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

An X8.2 class solar flare flashes in the edge of the Sun on Sept. 10, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 335 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Animated gif. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of an X8.2 solar flare – as seen in the bright area on the right – on Sept. 10, 2017. The images are a blend of extreme ultraviolet light in the 171 and 335 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

September 8, M8.1

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M8.1 solar flare – as seen in the bright area on the right – on Sept. 8, 2017. The image is a blend of extreme ultraviolet light in the 131 and 171 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Animated gif. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of an M8.1 solar flare – as seen in the bright area on the right – on Sept. 8, 2017. The images are extreme ultraviolet light in the 131 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

September 7, X1.3

Footage of the Sept. 7 X1.3 solar flare captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet light (131 angstrom wavelength)

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

September 6, X9.3 and X2.2

An X9.3 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the Sun on Sept. 6, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 131 angstrom wavelengths.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

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

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Different views of the X9.3 flare from Sept. 6, 2017. On the left, it flashes in a blend of 131 and 171 angstrom light. On the right it shows light in both visible and 304 angstrom extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, revealing both sunspots visible on the Sun's surface and the flare in the solar atmosphere.>Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

This gif shows the X9.3 flares that the Sun emitted on Sept. 6, 2017. The imagery was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows light in the 171 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

This gif shows the X9.3 flares that the Sun emitted on Sept. 6, 2017. The imagery was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows light in the 171 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

This gif shows both the X2.2 and the X9.3 flares that the Sun emitted on Sept. 6, 2017. The imagery was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows light in the 131 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Footage of the Sept. 6 X2.2 and X9.3 solar flares captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet light (171 angstrom wavelength) with Earth for scale

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

An X9.3 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun on Sept. 6, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory at 12:11:34UT and shows light in the 171 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

An X9.3 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun on Sept. 6, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory at 11:58:42UT and shows light in the 304 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

An X9.3 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun on Sept. 6, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory at 11:58:20UT and shows light in the 131 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

September 4, M5.5

An M5.5 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the Sun on Sept. 4, 2017. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows light in the 131 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Animated gif of the sequence of flares peaking in the M5.5 class solar flare on Sept. 4, 2017. Close-up on the flaring region.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Newer Version

For More Information

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/two-significant-solar-flares-imaged-by-nasas-sdo

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/active-region-on-sun-continues-to-emits-solar-flares

Credits

Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Lead Producer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Science Writer
Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Visualizer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However individual items should be credited as indicated above.

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Mission:
SDO

This item is part of these series:
Narrated Movies
Heliophysics Breaking News
Studies of the September 2017 Flares and CMEs

Keywords:
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Activity >> Solar Flares
SVS >> Space Weather
SVS >> SDO
SVS >> Solar Dynamics Observatory
SVS >> Heliophysics
SVS >> Corona
NASA Science >> Sun

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0