A major solar flare reaching X1.1 peaked at 23:08 UTC Friday evening.
The flare was centered around Sunspot 1515.
Sunspot 1515 has been teasing us with countless M-Class solar flares and it finally did what it has been threatening to do over the past several days. A major X1.1 Solar Flare was detected at 23:08 UTC. This event triggered a 10cm Radio Burst and a Type IV Sweep Frequency Event. More updates to follow should a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) be associated.
The X1.1 Solar Flare did generate a Coronal Mass Ejection, but it looks to be headed south and to the west. This should have little impact on Earth. The protons blasted away from the flare site are currently at elevated levels, however it currently remains below the S1 Minor Radiation Storm threshold.
Here is the new updated list of X-Class events to take place during Solar Cycle 24. The latest event is the 13th X-Class Flare of the current cycle.
X6.9 - August 9 2011 (1263)
X5.4 - March 7 2012 (1429)
X2.2 - February 15 2011 (1158)
X2.1 - September 6 2011 (1283)
X1.9 - November 3 2011 (1339)
X1.9 - September 24 2011 (1302)
X1.8 - September 7 2011 (1283)
X1.7 - January 27 2012 (1402)
X1.5 - March 9 2011 (1166)
X1.4 - September 22 2011 (1302)
X1.3 - March 7 2012 (1429)
X1.1 - July 6 2012 (1515)
X1.1 - March 4 2012 (1429)
Solar Flares: What Does It Take to Be X-Class?
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/X-class-flares.html
