Collapsed magnetic filament hurls coronal mass ejection (CME) towards Earth [1]

February 11, 2013 – EARTH-DIRECTED ERUPTION: On Saturday, February 9th, around 0640 UT, a magnetic filament in the sun’s northern hemisphere erupted, hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the UV flash from the underlying C2-class solar flare: The CME, which was captured in flight by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, billowed away from the sun at 800 km/s. The bulk of the cloud looks like it will sail north of Earth. Nevertheless, a glancing blow is possible as shown in this 3D model of the CME prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Flight Center. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on Feb. 12th when the CME passes by. –Space Weather