[BAA-ebulletin 00686] Aurora Alert: nights of July 14/15 and 15/16

[BAA electronic bulletins service]

At 1700 UT on July 12 the large sunspot area AR1520 produced an X1.4 class 
solar flare travelling in the general direction of the Earth. The latest 
forecast of the arrival time of the front of the expanding coronal mass 
ejection (CME) is for it to have reached the Earth around 0917 UT on July 14 
and strong auroral displays are forecast for the nights of July 14 and 15 
visible from far northerly and southerly latitudes. Ultraviolet and X-ray 
images of the sunspot region and its associated flare are available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News071212-X1.4flare.html

A remarkable video of this X-class flare captured by the Solar Dynamics 
Observatory can be seen at:

http://spaceweather.com/images2012/12jul12/ipad/x1p4.m4v?PHPSESSID=qhmpsg3tqvfj1i95b4bdusnqa3

Current predictions are for the newly energised auroral arc to be visible 
low on the horizon from Scotland. There is a possibility though that an 
auroral display will be visible to UK observers further south.

Clear skies,
Richard Miles
arps at britastro.org

2012 July 14 1007 UT