Two M-class solar flares
Thursday, 21 July 2016 17:18 UTC
More than three months. That's how long it took for the Sun to boost solar activity up to moderate levels again. It was sunspot region 2567 which produced two M-class solar flares early this night. First an M1.2 (R1-minor) solar flare at 00:46 UTC which was quickly followed by an M1.0 (R1-minor) solar flare at 01:49 UTC. These are the first M-class solar flares since the M6.7 solar flare that took place on 18 April.
Moderately strong M1.22 solar #flare - Follow live on https://t.co/T1Jkf6i4Cb pic.twitter.com/1yjok3iMjG
— SpaceWeatherLive (@_SpaceWeather_) 21 juli 2016
Moderately strong M1 solar #flare - Follow live on https://t.co/T1Jkf6i4Cb pic.twitter.com/UPb1MRQkf2
— SpaceWeatherLive (@_SpaceWeather_) 21 juli 2016
Neither of the M-class solar flares were eruptive. This means that these events did not launch any coronal mass ejections. This same sunspot region also produced a C4 solar flare yesterday evening which might be the source of a Type II and a Type IV radio sweep as reported by the NOAA SWPC. A faint coronal mass ejection can be seen leaving the Sun after this C4 solar flare but the solar plasma cloud does not like its directed towards Earth.
Sunspot region 2567 is now rotating towards the western limb and any future eruptions will likely miss our planet.
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