ALMOST-X FLARE AND CME: This morning, Jan. 23rd around 0359 UT, big sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. The explosion's M9-ranking puts it on the threshold of being an X-flare, the most powerful kind. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the flare's extreme ultraviolet flash:

The Solar and Heliosphere Observatory (SOHO) and the STEREO-Behind spacecraft have both detected a CME rapidly emerging from the blast site. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab estimate a velocity of 2200 km. There is little doubt that the cloud is heading in the general direction of Earth. A preliminary inspection of SOHO/STEREO imagery suggests that the CME will deliver a strong glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24-25 as it sails mostly north of our planet. Stay tuned for updates.Solar flare alerts: text, voice.

HIGH-LATITUDE AURORAS: The Arctic Circle is alight with auroras following this morning's CME impact. Incoming reports from Russia and Norway confirm a bright apparition underway now. Aurora alerts: text, voice.

CME IMPACT: Arriving a little later than expected, a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field at 0617 UT on Jan. 22nd. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the impact strongly compressed Earth's magnetic field and briefly exposed satellites in geosynchronous orbit to solar wind plasma. Shifting lines of magnetic force induced strong ground currents in Norway and sparked bright auroras over the upper reaches of North America. This colorful corona appeared over Chatanika, Alaska:

Treat your Heart of GOLD with Unconditional LOVE and Kindness

Melchizedek’s Weekly Message ~ January 22 - 29, 2012
Galactic Love Reporter : Julie Miller

January 22, 2012

Blessings Bright Hearts; my day is always brighter when I get to speak to so many through this fine soul. I have much to talk about today.

Bright Hearts you have come far since infancy of this lifetime. You have grown, developed fine motor skills and large motor skills. You have learned to read and to write. You have learned how to communicate and how to express yourself. Your teachers were your parents, caregivers, older siblings, family members, family friends, school teachers, etc. Being on the path of light you have learned that some of what you have been taught wasn’t quite the truth, but at the time of the teaching, that was all the truth that was known and the lessons from those times have become old and dusty.

Montaque Keen ~ 22 January 2012 ~We are On the Cusp of a Massive Transition~