Solar Flare Photos: Sun Storms Erupt From Sunspot AR1515

July 5, 2012 M6.1 Solar Flare Full Disk

NASA/SDO/AIA

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of the sun during an M6.1 flare that peaked at 7:44 AM EDT on July 5, 2012. The image is shown in the 304 Angstrom wavelength, which is typically colorized in red.

July 5, 2012 M6.1 Solar Flare Closeup

NASA/SDO/AIA

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of the sun during an M6.1 flare that peaked at 7:44 AM EDT on July 5, 2012. The image is shown in the 304 Angstrom wavelength, which is typically colorized in red.

Sunspots on the Fourth of July: 2012

NASA/SDO

This visible light image of the sun on July 4, 2012, shows the location of several sunspot patches on the sun's surface. The large sunspot group on the bottom of the sun is sunspot AR1515, an active region 100,000 km long. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory provided this view.

July Fourth Solar Flare: Views

NASA/SDO/AIA/Helioviewer/TheSunToday

This image shows four separate images of the M5.3 class flare from the morning of July 4, 2012. In clockwise order starting at the top left, the wavelengths shown are: 131, 94, 193, and 171 Angstroms.

Sunspot Group 1515

Randy Shivak

This image of sunspot group 1515 was taken by Randy Shivak, in Anthem, Arizona on July 2, 2012.

Fourth of July Solar Flare!

NASA/SDO/AIA/Helioviewer

This image, captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows the M5.3 class solar flare that peaked on July 4, 2012, at 5:55 AM EDT. The flare is shown in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength that is particularly good for capturing the radiation emitted from flares. The wavelength is typically colorized in teal as shown here.

Sunspots Mar Sun in July 2012

Credit: NASA/SDO/HMI

This image taken by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows the large sunspot region (lower group), dubbed AR 1515, that produced several M-class flares, beginning on July 2, 2012. The region is estimated to be over 100,000 miles across.

Solar Flare of July 2, 2012

NASA

An intense M5.6-class solar flare erupts from sunspot region AR1515 on July 2, 2012 in this still from a NASA video by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Fourth of July Solar Flare: 2012

NASA/SDO

This still from a NASA video shows a Fourth of July solar flare from sunspot AR1515 on the sun on July 4, 2012 as seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Solar Flare, July 2, 2012

NASA/SDO

This view of the July 2, 2012 M5.6 class solar flare was captured by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) satellite.

Sunspots from Lancashire

Derek Brookes

Sunspots stand out in this image taken by Derek Brookes from Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Brookes used a homemade filter to take the image on July 1, 2012.

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