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Proba-2 shows solar eruption that touched Earth

14 April 2010

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The flare seen here took place at 11:54 CET on Saturday 3 April and recorded by ESA's Proba-2. Significantly, this eruption was lined up with Earth as it erupted, sending a vast number of charged particles hurtling towards us, reaching Earth the following Monday, 5 April. Observing in extreme ultraviolet, Proba-2 acquired an image of the event every 100 seconds. Measuring only a cubic metre, Proba-2 is crammed with technology demonstrations but also carries science payloads: its SWAP (Sun Watcher using APS detectors and imaging processing) instrument is only the size of a large shoebox, but gathers images much more frequently than SOHO’s equivalent sensor.

Credits: ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium

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Small satellite technology demonstrator Proba-2 went into orbit on 2 November 2009.

Credits: ESA

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This is a close-up view of the active region observed by Proba-2's SWAP instrument on 3 April 2010. Magnetic loops are visibly glowing - filled with cooling plasma (though cooling is a relative phrase - its temperature still exceeds a million degrees) - as the Sun's magnetic field knits itself together again in the flare's immediate aftermath. The area around them is still darkened due to the 'EIT wave' caused by the Sun's surface reacting to the force of the flare.

Credits: ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium

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At the same time Proba-2's SWAP recorded the solar eruption, its solar radiometer LYRA carried out simultaneous monitoring. This figure shows LYRA data in its aluminium and zirconium channels during the day of the solar eruption (3 April 2010, showing a four-fold increase in radiation levels.

Credits: ESA/Royal Observatory of Belgium

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