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On Monday, January 9, 2023, a massive explosion on the sun released a huge flare from a new sunspot. Photo/NASA/Space
According to a statement from the US Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Class X flares are the strongest type of solar storm. A Class X 1.9 solar storm will cause temporary radio blackouts over parts of South America, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.
“The source (solar flare) is the overactive sunspot AR3184. It will be heading our way this weekend,” wrote astronomer Tony Phillips of space weather website SpaceWeather.com as quoted by the Space page, on Tuesday (10/1/2023).
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NASA captures stunning images and videos of solar flares with the Solar Dynamics Observatory. This is a space telescope that continuously observes the sun at different wavelengths.
Solar flares are intense eruptions from the sun’s surface that explode at various levels of power. The weakest flares, classified as A, B, or C hurricanes, are usually small.
More powerful M-class flares can catapult charged particles towards Earth which increase the power of the auroras, amplifying the Earth’s view of the northern lights and aurora borealis. Meanwhile, X-class solar flares, if directed directly at Earth, will cause some disturbances.
“It could affect radio communications, power grids, navigation signals and pose a risk to spacecraft and astronauts,” NASA said in a statement.
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The sun is currently in the active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle. The current phase is known as Solar Cycle 25, which is expected to peak in 2025.
NASA tracks solar flares and other space weather events by observing the sun with various spacecraft. These include the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) which regularly monitor space weather events.
(wib)
