Solar Flare and Aurora

November 15, 2014

SolarflarefromMEX

Johnsaurora

Photographers: Eric Roel; John Stetson
Summary Authors: John Stetson; Eric Roel
 
Shown above is a spectacular solar flare, in the center of the solar disk, captured by Eric Roel on September 12, 2014, from Valle de Bravo, Mexico. This flare generated a major coronal mass ejection event (CME), disrupting the flow of solar wind that arrived at the Earth's magnetosphere two days later.
 
My friend, Janet Shur, and I visited Quaker Ridge, in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, on September 14 in hopes of seeing an aurora, predicted after the huge solar flare. We weren't disappointed. An amazing aurora, powered by the solar wind, filled the northern sky soon after sunset. The peak activity occurred at 8:45 p.m. just before moonrise.