Sunspot region 4168 is certainly making quite a name for itself!
Earlier this week, active region 4168 churned out three M-class flares within 24 hours, ending weeks of calm on the sun. Then, on Aug. 5, it fired off a strong M4.4-class flare, peaking at 11:58 a.m. EDT (15:58 GMT), and hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. But though the eruption came from almost smack-dab in the center of the sun's disk, a spot that usually spells "bullseye" for Earth, this one had a trick up its sleeve.
Instead of heading straight for us, the CME launched sideways, flinging most of its plasma westward, away from Earth. Still, space weather forecasters say there is a chance Earth may still receive a glancing blow from the CME on Aug. 8, which could trigger a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm, potentially sparking northern lights as far south as northern Michigan and Maine.
