POTENTIAL MAJOR SOLAR FLARE WARNING, 10 May 2012

Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
04:00 UTC, 10 May 2012
www.spacew.com

Active sunspot complex 1476 is nearing the solar central meridian and is
well placed for producing Earthward-directed coronal mass ejections. It is
currently large and magnetically complex, with a dominantly east-west
oriented neutral line and growing evidence of higher levels of magnetic
shear developing between the main leader spot and the smaller opposite
polarity spot located just equatorward of the leader.

We believe there is a notable probability of observing a major M and/or
X-class flare from this spot complex during the next 3 to 5 days. The
potential for a major proton producing flare (resulting in increased
high-energy radiation in the near-Earth space environment) is also
notable. The probability of observing an increase in energetic proton
populations will probably increase over the next week.

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