Solar Flare Explosion Detected by Satellite, Impact Felt on Earth: NASA Reveals

Intan Rakhmayanti Dewi, CNBC Indonesia

Tech

Wednesday, 03/04/2024 08:20 IWST

Photo: Illustration from NASA shows the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft approaching the sun. (Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins APL/NASA via AP)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The satellite detected a large solar flare that was strong enough to ionize part of the Earth’s atmosphere. A solar storm occurred and its impact was felt on this planet.

Scientists saw a flare erupt from the base of the Sun on Thursday 28 March 2024 using satellites from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The flare peaked at 4:56 p.m. ET, and was categorized as an X1.1 flare. According to NASA, class X flares are the most powerful type of explosion the Sun can produce.

The explosion was so powerful that it ionized the upper atmosphere of the Earth. The impact even resulted in the blackout of shortwave radio in the Pacific Ocean, quoted from Live ScienceMonday (1/4/2024).

Solar explosions are also accompanied by very large plasma bursts known as coronal mass ejection (CME).

NOAA scientists initially feared the CME would collide with Earth, potentially resulting in a geomagnetic storm that could impact satellites, radio communications and other infrastructure. However, on Friday (March 29), the agency announced that the blast likely did not hit Earth.

Solar flares are large explosions that occur on the surface of the Sun when twisted magnetic field lines suddenly break, emitting huge bursts of electromagnetic radiation.

This solar event comes after a “double” class X flare occurred Monday (March 25), triggering the most powerful geomagnetic storm on Earth in six years. Not only that, this unique event consisted of two simultaneous explosions which are also called sympathetic solar flares.

The large number of consecutive solar events has led scientists to think that the Sun may have entered an era of explosive peak activity, known as solar maximum. Where it seems that the phenomenon started a year earlier than previously estimated. However, researchers have to wait until the Sun “calms down” to know for sure.

Watch the video below: