![]() ![]() Mostly, these will go more or less unnoticed by us lowly surface-dwellers. A massive belch of solar particles is launched into interplanetary space when these particles collide with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, geomagnetic storms are triggered. When solar flares, and their associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are unleashed in the general direction of Earth, shenanigans can ensue. The most powerful flare on record ever to lash Earth was an X28 flare that took place in November 2003. At time of writing, AR2975 has emitted 36 flares: one small B-class flare, 29 middling C-class flares, 9 of the more powerful M-class flares, and this one X-class monster.Įach class of flares is ten times more powerful than the previous, with multiple grades within the class. has a space weather prediction center that runs simulations and makes predictions on when CMEs will arrive at earth. They can then alert groups such as airlines or electrical power companies, which can then take steps to avoid problems.It's the most powerful of a series of flares emitted by the region. NASA has observatories in space that track solar flares and CMEs. Much like weather forecasts, the U.S. In addition, the charged particles can cause electricity blackouts, when they interact with power grids on Earth. Similar to solar flares, CMEs can also affect high-frequency radio and satellite communications. When CMEs reach earth, the particles can react with other gases in the atmosphere, creating a beautiful light show in the sky. The lights are called auroras. If the lights are near the North Pole, it is called aurora borealis and if they are near the South Pole, it is called aurora australis. Some people refer to them simply as the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights. Solar flares are frequently accompanied by CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections), which are explosions that emit plasma- a type of gas made up of charged particles. This energy can affect the high-frequency radio waves, causing problems and outages with radio communications. In addition, electronic equipment in satellites can be damaged by this sudden burst of energy. However, the earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field shield us from the effects. The energy generated from solar flares can reach the earth within minutes. All the recent flares in September were either category M or X. ![]() Only the solar flares in categories M and X are strong enough to have an effect on the earth. The strongest solar flare ever recorded was X28 which happened in 2003 it might have been higher but the sensor itself got knocked out at that number. Within each letter category, there is also a number ranking. So an X flare has 10 times the energy of an M flare and 100 times the energy of a C flare. Solar flares are categorized by the amount of their energy. The categories are A, B, C, M, and X from smallest to largest. Each letter represents 10 times the energy over the previous letter. This results in an explosion of light and electromagnetic energy which we refer to as "solar flare'. The sun’s equator rotates faster than its poles, causing its magnetic field to become twisted and eventually snap. ![]() Let's take a detailed look at what causes solar flares, and how their impact is felt on Earth. Our Sun released several solar flares which caused a disruption of high-frequency radio communications and slowed down GPS navigation systems for nearly an hour! This is what happened between September 4 and 11. We all know that life on Earth would not be possible without the light and warmth of the Sun.īut sometimes the Sun can send out sudden and unexpected bursts of high-energy radiation, known as solar flares. ![]()
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