April 29 2012 Mars Directed CME + Class-M-Flare a Possibility Today HD

 
A minor CME that left the sun during the late hours of April 28th is heading for Mars. En route, it will sweep past the Mars Science Lab spacecraft, which is carrying Curiosity to the Red Planet. According to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the GSFC, the cloud will reach the rover on May 4th. Fortunately, Curiosity is equipped to sense and study solar storms.
Sunspot 1465 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-flares. Nevertheless, solar activity is low.
The geomagnetic field is
expected to be at predominately quiet levels for days one and two (29 - 30 April). By day three (01 May), quiet to unsettled levels, with isolated active periods, are expected as a coronal hole high speed stream moves into a geoeffective position.
Solar wind speed: 406.1 km/sec
SDO/HMI/NASA
NOAA/Spaceweather