Solar Storm WARNING: Sun Shoots MAJOR X1,8 Flare & CME Outburst at Earth

SOLAR STORM WARNING: MAJOR X1,8 SOLAR FLARE & EARTH DIRECTED CME 

Space Weather Message Code: SUMX01
Serial Number: 111
Issue Time: 2014 Dec 20 0100 UTC

SUMMARY: X-ray Event exceeded X1
Begin Time: 2014 Dec 20 0011 UTC
Maximum Time: 2014 Dec 20 0028 UTC
End Time: 2014 Dec 20 0055 UTC
X-ray Class: X1.8
Optical Class: 2b
Location: S19W29
NOAA Scale: R3 – Strong

Comment: NOAA Active Region 12242; optical class is preliminary

Potential Impacts: Area of impact consists of large portions of the sunlit side of Earth, strongest at the sub-solar point.

Radio – Wide area blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication for about an hour.  http://www.solarham.net/bulletins.htm

STRONG LONG DURATION M6,9 CLASS SOLAR FLARE AND   EARTH DIRECTED CME  

December 18, 2014

Strong long duration M6,9 solar flare and Earth directed CME around the  sunspots AR2241 &   AR2242 

LARGE SUNSPOTS: A pair of large sunspots has emerged in the sun’s southern hemisphere, and they are almost directly facing Earth. 

These images were taken by the http://helioviewer.org/