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A SIGNIFICANT EXPLOSION ON THE SUN (UPDATED): Big sunspot AR3363 produced a significant solar flare, a long-duration event during the early hours of July 18th. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast near the sun's southwestern limb. Energetic protons accelerated by the flare have reached Earth and are now peppering the top of our planet's atmosphere. This is called a “radiation storm.“ According to data from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite, it is a category S2 event. Although the explosion was not X-class, it was more powerful than many X-flares. How? Because it lasted so long. The flare's X-ray output was above M5 for more than an hour and above M1 for nearly 4 hours. It had plenty of time to lift a substantial CME out of the sun's atmosphere. Indeed, SOHO coronagraphs have detected a bright CME emerging from the blast site. Although the CME is not heading directly for Earth, it appears to have an Earth-directed component. NASA and NOAA models suggests it could deliver an effective glancing blow as early as July 20th (0000 UT). The CME's flank impact could spark G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storms, with a slight chance of G3. Stay tuned for updates..
