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CRACKLING SUNSPOT: AR1936 is waking up. The sunspot has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic
field that harbors energy for strong eruptions, yet it has been quiet for days. Now AR1936
is beginning to crackle with flares. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme
ultraviolet flash from an almost-M-class flare at 1800 UT on Dec. 28th:
Because the sunspot is facing Earth, any flares emanating from it are going to be geoeffective.
So far, the extreme ultraviolet "crackles" have produced only minor waves of ionization
in our planet's upper atmosphere. Earth-effects will increase, however, if the activity continues
to intensify. Stay tuned!