Big sunspot unleashes intense solar flare A sunspot known as
AR1654 produced the M1-class flare, according to officials with
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Fri, Jan 11 2013 at 6:40 PM
This view of the flare on Jan. 11, 2013, was recorded by NASA's
Solar Dynamics Observatory. (Photo: NASA) The surface of the sun
erupted in a solar flare early today (Jan. 11), unleashing a
blast of super-heated plasma into space. A huge sunspot known as
AR1654 produced the M1-class flare at 4:11 a.m. EST (0911 GMT),
officials with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory said in a
description of the event. The SDO spacecraft is one of several
sun-watching space telescopes keeping tabs on solar flares and
other sun weather events. According to Spaceweather.com, sunspot
AR1654 is growing more active and is now "crackling with M-class
solar flares" like the one that erupted today. "AR1654 is
getting bigger as it turns toward Earth," the website reported.
"Not only is the chance of flares increasing, but also the
chance of an Earth-di