Performing with a Flare (April 4, 2008)

Hi-res TIF image (2.5M)

MPEG Movie: Large ( 10M)
Quicktime Movie: Large ( 29M), Medium ( 12M), Small (2.0M)

On March 25, 2008 STEREO observed its first M-class (medium-sized) solar flare, which was also associated with a coronal mass ejection. Flares are intense, though short-lived, solar storms. Interestingly, three active regions were lined up across the center of the Sun, but the one on the far left produced the flare and CME. A careful look at the middle region reveals a burst of activity just before the flare blasts from the area to its left. The magnetic field orientations of these active regions still belong to the old solar cycle: sunspots of the new cycle will show reversed magnetic orientation. The video clip shows about 14 hours of activity.

SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display.

If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to steele.hill@gsfc.nasa.gov.