X-Class Solar Flare, Strongest Kind, Erupts From Giant Sunspot 'AR1520'

The sun unleashed a huge flare Thursday (July 12), the second major solar storm to erupt from our star in less than a week.

The solar flare peaked at 12:52 p.m. EDT (1652 GMT) as an X-class sun storm, the most powerful type of flare the suncan have.

"It erupted from Active Region 1520, which rotated into view on July 6," NASA officials said in an alert. Active Region 1520, or AR1520, is a giant sunspot currently facing Earth.  

Source: Huffington Post

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/x-class-solar-flare-sunspot_n_1670668.html