M1.6 solar flare from sunspot region 2192 (old region 2172)

Saturday, 18 October 2014 10:31 UTC

The M1.6 flare was not eruptive, no CME is expected from this event. Even if there was a small coronal mass ejection (CME) accompanied with the event, due to the position of this sunspot region near the limb, it won't be Earth directed. 

Sunspot region 2192 looks big but it is surely not the biggest sunspot region of this cycle. It has a very large central leader spot which makes it look impressive. Now that sunspot region 2192 is fully into view, we can see it's magnetic layout better and judge it's flaring potential. The leading group of spots with the large umbra contains one delta spot in the western part making it a beta-gamma-delta region which has the capabilities of producing a strong flare. From the short period that it is in view it looks relatively stable. The large amounts of faculae around the region is a soup of crumbled penumbral area with a few tiny spots in it; those two tiny spots have an opposite polarity (a delta spot).