Impulsive X2.2 solar flare erupts from Region 3912


A Type II Radio Emission with an estimated velocity of 626 km/s was associated with the event, indicating a coronal mass ejection (CME) was produced.

Additionally, a 10cm Radio Burst lasting 3 minutes and with a peak flux of 870 sfu was associated with this event, indicating significant radio noise. This noise is generally short-lived but can cause interference for sensitive receivers including radar, GPS, and satellite communications.

Radio frequencies were forecast to be most degraded over the Southwest Indian Ocean at the time of the flare.

LASCO C2 and C3 coronagraph imagery needed for further analysis of the potential CME impact were not available at the time of press.

The location of the responsible region, however, suggests at least part of this CME might be Earth-directed.

Region 3912 has ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic configuration and is capable of producing more strong eruptions on the Sun.

Image credit: SWPC
x2.2 solar flare december 8 2024 goes-16 suvi 304x2.2 solar flare december 8 2024 goes-16 suvi 304
X2.2 solar flare on December 8, 2024. Credit: NOAA/GOES-16, SUVI 304, The Watchers
x2.2 solar flare december 8 2024 goes-16 suvi 131x2.2 solar flare december 8 2024 goes-16 suvi 131
X2.2 solar flare on December 8, 2024. Credit: NOAA/GOES-16, SUVI 131, The Watchers
x2.2 solar flare drap 0907 utc december 8 2024x2.2 solar flare drap 0907 utc december 8 2024
Image credit: SWPC

Unfortunately, we don’t have high-quality Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) images of this event—or any SDO images at all—since November 26, due to a major flood in the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) server room caused by a 4-inch chilled-water pipe break.

The flooding caused extensive water damage to the lab housing the machines that process and distribute data from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), Atmospheric Imaging Array (AIA), and the IRIS spacecraft.

As a result, science data processing for these instruments has been severely disrupted, and access to archived data at JSOC is currently unavailable. The Stanford JSOC team is actively assessing the damage and planning recovery efforts, but restoration is expected to take a significant amount of time.




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