Active region 11402 – M1 flare & full halo CME / Solar watch Jan 17, 2012 (Video)

A very long duration C6.4 event was detected around Active Region 11402. A Full-Halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was produced shortly after. This CME will hit Venus during the late hours of Jan. 18th. This CME might deliver a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field around 1200 UT on Jan. 19th. The impact could cause geomagnetic activity and auroras around the Arctic Circle.

Earth is entering a moderately-fast (540 km/s) solar wind stream that could spark geomagnetic disturbances around the Arctic Circle. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras tonight.