Mega Flares of October 2003

Late October and early November 2003 showed us a set of impressive record breaking flares with many associated CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections). Here is the blow by blow account as I posted every day or so.

Home

Mega-Monster Solar XRay Flare, Nov 4, 2003

X18.0=Y1.8 and holding! It broke the scale at Y4.0!?

Update: March 17, 2004 The flare has been upgraded to an X45 class event, twice as large as the previous record. BBC News Online reports "New Zealand researchers in Otago looked at the effect the flare's radiation had on the Earth's upper atmosphere and used that to judge its strength."

Monster Solar XRay Flare, October 28, 2003

And another, October 29, 2003

Parting shots as active region exits, November 2, 2003

X9.2 flare

The first largest flare, an X9.2, produced this CME

CME from X9.2

See the second Large X3.0 flare

And the third in a row, an X4.3 flare

Two X Class Flares and CMEs, Oct 26, 2003.

X1.3 flare

Four X Class Flares and CMEs

Oct 23, 2003. Do these flares effect the stock market? A question I put a week ago. And now, "I've noticed a curious linkage between solar events and markets (a topic we have pondered before)..." from urbansurvival.com Oct 23, 2003. Who knows? (shrug, smile) Just make a note, as the Sun rotates in its 27.2753 day synodic rotation period, Region 10486 on the East Solar limb will be aimed right at the Earth in one week. The market is down again today.

On the 23 of October, a fourth flare.

Oct 23, The Big One, X5.6.

Right there on the East side of the Sun

And the resulting CMEs in two spectral/zoom telescope images.

Earlier, on the 22nd, An X1.0.

And on the 19th, an X1.1.

The last really BIG solar flare occurred on 15 Apr 2001. Here is its chart.

April 2001 X16 flare