Class M flares from region 41

The HINODE X-ray telescope image above shows a flare overexposing the sensor. Region 11041 near the southeast limb has produced more than 30 flares so far.

Three of them have been M class. Here is a GOES 14 animation of a M3.4 flare yesterday.
Above is a single frame at the time of maximum X-ray flux.

40 setting in the west January 17

These HINODE X-ray telescope image details show active region 11040 setting in the north west solar limb, and a new active region rising in the south east limb.

Jackson Hole 2009

Bar in Space

Number 95 in Messier's catalog, a galaxy about 33 million light years distant. I took this image with an 180 mm aperture robotic telescope in New Mexico. My thanks to the Tzec Maun Observatory.

This image was taken by Michael McGuiggan and Adam Block, from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, with a 20 inch telescope. Here is another image taken with a larger instrument.

Why many galaxies show bars, and a ring surrounding the bar, has not been fully explained yet.

Solar Type III Radio Burst January 10

The Solar magnetic field near active regions can accelerate electrons to very high velocities (one third the speed of light or more). A jet of electrons can interact with the solar wind plasma and produce radio waves over a broad frequency range, as seen in the spectrum above, recorded by the STEREO observatory trailing the Earth.

The image shows an event in the 16 MHz to 100 KHz radio band. This burst was observed by participants in NASA's Radio Jove educational project for schools, with small antennas and inexpensive receivers.

A Lion is chasing Mars !!

All sky image from New Mexico Skies, showing Mars prominently in front of a Lion !

Region 40 January 10

Region 11040 and surroundings are looking beautiful today in the Kanzelhoehe Observatory and SOHO images, posted in Solar Monitor.
Alan Strauss has a lovely sketch here.