<blockquote>
<p>How are these flares tracked after they've been detected?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since you already linked to <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/16786/13663">https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/16786/13663</a>, I won't belabor the differences between a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare" rel="noreferrer">solar flare</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection" rel="noreferrer">coronal mass ejection (CME)</a>.  I will say that flares are short-lived phenomenon so they aren't really tracked so much as observed and their properties recorded.</p>
<p>They are observed by spacecraft such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite" rel="noreferrer">GOES</a> spacecraft x-ray detectors or the UV detectors on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory" rel="noreferrer">SDO</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What other detector mechanisms do we have (if any) along the way, to detect the progress of such CME's?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We have remote radio sensors onboard spacecraft like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_(spacecraft)" rel="noreferrer">Wind</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEREO" rel="noreferrer">STEREO</a> that detect some types of radio bursts generated upstream of the shocks produced by CMEs.  We have particle detectors on these spacecraft and others that can observe the shock-accelerated particles before the CME arrives at Earth.  We also have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Solar_Probe" rel="noreferrer">Parker Solar Probe</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter" rel="noreferrer">Solar Orbiter</a> that are closer to the Sun than Earth.  These are rarely on the Earth-Sun line, however, and their data are not telemetered to ground in real-time.  So they mostly provide after-the-fact observations of such phenomena.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T14:42:34.143Z
Thank you, accepted. However, it seem that we have some serious holes in regard to any implemented warning systems, so I suppose we're lucky that our sun is still fairly well behaved.
not2qubit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-01T14:48:44.797Z
I agree, but I am not in charge of funding so I have no control over that ;)
honeste_vivere
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-03T09:10:35.083Z
There's also [DSCOVR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory), that is located at L1 which would give us about 1 hr advance notice on CME's, according to that Wikipedia article.
not2qubit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-03T09:20:28.007Z
Links to DSCOVR tools can be found [here](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/real-time-solar-wind) and [here](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/dscovr-schedule-tracking).
not2qubit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-03T12:33:05.290Z
Yes, I am well aware of DSCOVR as I work with its mission scientist and was officemates with the guy who calibrates the magnetometer and am good friends with the guy in charge of the Faraday cups.  Unfortunately, I also know that DSCOVR suffers from a lot of problems.  These largely result from it having "sat on mothballs" for a decade and then received minimal funding for retrofitting and updating before launch.
honeste_vivere
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-03T12:34:07.257Z
As an aside, a really strong CME will get to Earth from L1 much faster than 1 hour and even when everything works perfectly, it still takes several minutes between the spacecraft observing something and a scientist or forecaster actually seeing the data on their screen.
honeste_vivere
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-31T13:52:35.950Z
2021-08-31T13:52:35.950Z
honeste_vivere
<p>I was just casually browsing when I came across a link about at recent solar flare. So I went to investigate at <a href="https://www.spaceweather.com/" rel="noreferrer">SpaceWeather</a>. There it was stated:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2a8Lq.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2a8Lq.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>Looking further down the page it seem to say that there is only a 5% chance for being an <em>X-flare</em>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/s8AJ1.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/s8AJ1.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>With other words, quite unlikely, while using a somewhat obtuse language of <em>&quot;if current trends continue...could be...&quot;</em>.</p>
<p>So my question is:</p>
<p>(a) <strong>How are these flares tracked after they've been detected?</strong><br />
(b) <strong>What other detector mechanisms do we have (if any) along the way, to detect the progress of such CME's?</strong><br />
(Preferably before they arrive here.)</p>
<hr />
<p>Possibly related questions:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/27086/how-accurate-are-the-predictions-for-coronal-mass-ejections-location-timing-an">how accurate are the predictions for coronal mass ejections-(location, timing and magnitude)?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/87/what-are-the-main-differences-between-solar-flares-and-coronal-mass-ejections">What are the main differences between solar flares and coronal mass ejections?</a></li>
</ul>

<the-sun><solar-flare><coronal-mass-ejection>
What online tools are available to investigate and classify solar eruptions?
not2qubit
# What online tools are available to investigate and classify solar eruptions?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-29)

I was just casually browsing when I came across a link about at recent solar flare. So I went to investigate at [SpaceWeather](https://www.spaceweather.com/). There it was stated:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/2a8Lq.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/2a8Lq.png)

Looking further down the page it seem to say that there is only a 5% chance for being an *X-flare*.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/s8AJ1.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/s8AJ1.png)

With other words, quite unlikely, while using a somewhat obtuse language of *"if current trends continue...could be..."*.

So my question is:

(a) **How are these flares tracked after they've been detected?**  
(b) **What other detector mechanisms do we have (if any) along the way, to detect the progress of such CME's?**  
(Preferably before they arrive here.)

---

Possibly related questions:

* [how accurate are the predictions for coronal mass ejections-(location, timing and magnitude)?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/27086/how-accurate-are-the-predictions-for-coronal-mass-ejections-location-timing-an)
* [What are the main differences between solar flares and coronal mass ejections?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/87/what-are-the-main-differences-between-solar-flares-and-coronal-mass-ejections)

**Tags:** the-sun, solar-flare, coronal-mass-ejection


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-08-31. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

> How are these flares tracked after they've been detected?

Since you already linked to <https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/16786/13663>, I won't belabor the differences between a [solar flare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare) and [coronal mass ejection (CME)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection). I will say that flares are short-lived phenomenon so they aren't really tracked so much as observed and their properties recorded.

They are observed by spacecraft such as the [GOES](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite) spacecraft x-ray detectors or the UV detectors on [SDO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Dynamics_Observatory).

> What other detector mechanisms do we have (if any) along the way, to detect the progress of such CME's?

We have remote radio sensors onboard spacecraft like [Wind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_(spacecraft)) and [STEREO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEREO) that detect some types of radio bursts generated upstream of the shocks produced by CMEs. We have particle detectors on these spacecraft and others that can observe the shock-accelerated particles before the CME arrives at Earth. We also have [Parker Solar Probe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Solar_Probe) and [Solar Orbiter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Orbiter) that are closer to the Sun than Earth. These are rarely on the Earth-Sun line, however, and their data are not telemetered to ground in real-time. So they mostly provide after-the-fact observations of such phenomena.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you, accepted. However, it seem that we have some serious holes in regard to any implemented warning systems, so I suppose we're lucky that our sun is still fairly well behaved.  
> **username_1**: I agree, but I am not in charge of funding so I have no control over that ;)  
> **username_0**: There's also [DSCOVR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory), that is located at L1 which would give us about 1 hr advance notice on CME's, according to that Wikipedia article.  
> **username_0**: Links to DSCOVR tools can be found [here](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/real-time-solar-wind) and [here](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/dscovr-schedule-tracking).  
> **username_1**: Yes, I am well aware of DSCOVR as I work with its mission scientist and was officemates with the guy who calibrates the magnetometer and am good friends with the guy in charge of the Faraday cups.  Unfortunately, I also know that DSCOVR suffers from a lot of problems.  These largely result from it having "sat on mothballs" for a decade and then received minimal funding for retrofitting and updating before launch.  
> **username_1**: As an aside, a really strong CME will get to Earth from L1 much faster than 1 hour and even when everything works perfectly, it still takes several minutes between the spacecraft observing something and a scientist or forecaster actually seeing the data on their screen.  

---

