                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 28

                Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns
               Video Credit: NASA, Solar Dynamics Observatory

   Explanation: It's back. The famous active region on the Sun that
   created auroras visible around the Earth earlier this month has
   survived its rotation around the far side of the Sun -- and returned.
   Yesterday, as it was beginning to reappear on the Earth-facing side,
   the region formerly labeled AR 3664 threw another major solar flare,
   again in the highest-energy X-class range. The featured video shows the
   emerging active region on the lower left, as it was captured by NASA's
   Earth-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory yesterday in ultraviolet
   light. The video is a time-lapse of the entire Sun rotating over 24
   hours. Watch the lower-left region carefully at about the 2-second mark
   to see the powerful flare burst out. The energetic particles from that
   flare and associated CME are not expected to directly impact the Earth
   and trigger impressive auroras, but scientists will keep a close watch
   on this unusually active region over the next two weeks, as it faces
   the Earth, to see what develops.

                      Tomorrow's picture: stairway to …
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

