I have been studying the sun since 2009,
I share links to the tools I use and I show others
how to find this information. I wish more would look.
[ iSWA | SolarSoft are two I use every day. ]
This is a new sunspot region that is just coming around.
It is not quite earth facing yet, but it erupted a M4.4 CME yesterday.
(I created this GIF yesterday using frames from the SDO data.)
Today I have a terrible headache, that seems to happen whenever these events occur. I am especially sensitive to the increased plasma density, photons and xrays hitting the earth.
(This image was shared by a friend on FB but is from NOAA/SWPC.
Some more information about the correlation between Solar Flares and Radio Blackouts is displayed on https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/solar-flares-radio-blackouts where you can see a table that shows,
[R1 M1 Flux=0.00001 = Minor] and [R2 M5 Flux=0.00005 Moderate]
So yesterday's Coronal Mass Ejection was just slightly less (4.4) than Moderate.
This flare was not Earth directed, it is heading for Venus. However in just a few days this region will be facing Earth and should we get another M-class flare it could have more direct consequences.
These images and much more can be found using the iSWA Dashboard.
I will continue posting about this region and other events that unfold, and if you enjoy learning about this subject please Follow and leave a comment below!