Active region 1158 let loose with an X2.2 flare at about 0150 UT or 8:50 pm ET on February 14. This makes it the biggest flare so far in Solar Cycle 24. AR 1158 is in the southern hemisphere, which has been lagging the north in activity but now leads in big flares!
Here is a blowup of the flaring region at 0153 UT (February 15, 2011) in AIA 335. Many of the short lines in the image are not part of the flare but are from light scattered on the inside of the telescope. More on that later.
Sit back and enjoy the show!
