On August 8, 2011, at 12:48 AM Pacific time, the first X-class flare measuring X6.9 set off from sunspot region 1263. This region was just rotating around the western limb of the Sun and will only present a glancing blow to Earth. (see images below). Keep in mind that the images are reversed so the western limb is located on the right side of the image. If we were looking at the Sun at the time of the flare it would be on the left side of the Sun.
Region 1263 has become unstable and has increased in power. Just six hours prior to the X6.9 it produced an M2.5 which now adds to five M-class flares and today's X6.9 during its rotation on the Earthside of the Sun.
Solar activity has been steadily increasing for the past few months. Only recently has this activity been very noticible. More to the point, this activity has been occurring more on the western limb of the Sun... why? Here's a possible answer... Comet Elenin.
In the past, we've all seen realtime images from the Solar and Helospheric Observatory (SOHO) with comets flying by the Sun with the associated solar flare erupting on the side of the comet flyby due to gravitational and magnetic entanglement. But the comets are usually close to the Sun before the flare erupts. In the case of our August 8 X-class solar flare, there is not comet close by to cause the flare, unless the object is so large that the effect is felt before it can be seen.
Could Comet Elenin be larger then we are being led to believe? The jury is still out on this subject but the image below, created in Starry Night Pro, shows Elenin on the same side of the solar flare at exactly 12:48 AM Pacific on August 8, 2011. Again, the images above have not been corrected as an individual would see it from Earth. The image below is corrected and would be as if an individual would see it on Earth.
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