#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: #X4 0635 UT May06
24-hr: X4 0635 UT May06

A #CME expected to hit #Earth on May 5th appears to have arrived right on time. Solar wind data suggest a close encounter around 1800 UT in good accord with NASA and NOAA predictions. The resulting G1-class geomagnetic storm sparked mid-latitude auroras in Europe:

" #Auroras surprisingly appeared here in the Czech Republic at latitude +50 N," reports photographer Petr Horálek at the Institute of Physics in Opava. "They were visible to the naked eye despite the cirrus clouds."

This might not have been a direct hit. Normally, on-target CMEs produce a sharp discontinuity in the speed of solar wind blowing around our planet. Not this time. Instead, a gentle ripple of south-pointing magnetism washed over the Earth for several hours--typical of near-miss CMEs that catch us in their wake.

More CMEs may be on the way. Yesterday's flurry of X- and M-class solar flares from hyperactive sunspot AR3663 probably hurled some debris toward Earth. Confirmation awaits overdue coronagraph data from SOHO