ITWire

Sunspot AR1515 has grown more than 10 times wider than the Earth. It has grown in size to encompass an area 62,137 miles (100,000 kilometers) long.

According to SpaceWeather.com, "The active region is crackling with M-class solar flares and seems poised to produce even stronger X-flares in the days ahead."

The latest solar flare, from sunspot AR1515, was felt at 5:47 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), 0947 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Its peak hit about eight minutes later. It registered as a class M5.3 solar storm, according to the Space Weather Prediction Group operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

According to 7/4/2012 CBC News article Sun fires off Fourth of July solar flares, "Class M solar flares are powerful, but still medium-strength, sun storms that can supercharge northern lights displays on Earth. The weakest of the sun's strong solar flares are C-class storms."

In addition, at least one coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading to Earth. A CME is a gigantic burst of solar wind and magnetic field that rises above the Sun's corona and is then released into space.

If you would like to get the latest on solar flares, CMEs, and other activities on the Sun that impact us on Earth, you can receive X-flare alerts from:

• http://spaceweather.com (for more information and updates)
• http://spaceweathertext.com (text)
• http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice)

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