SPACE — A huge and hyperactive sunspot just emitted an X-class solar flare for the third time in the last two days. Class X is the most powerful type of solar explosion, and there is nothing above it.
The latest flare is the largest in the current solar cycle, and is the most intense solar explosion since 2017. Scientists predict that there will be more powerful explosions to follow.
It is known that the sun has an 11 year cycle whose peak is called solar or solar maximum. Incidentally, the next solar maximum will occur in 2024. It is predicted that peak solar activity will occur until the end of this year.
The eruption that shook the sun is a sign that we are on the verge of the peak of the solar cycle’s explosion. We will likely see more intense and potentially destructive solar storms in the next few months.
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On February 21, sunspot AR3590, which is several times wider than Earth, emitted two X-class flares within seven hours. According to Space.com, the explosions had magnitudes of X 1.8 and X 1.7 respectively.
On February 22, the same sunspot again emitted an X 6.3 flare, only about 23 hours after the first. According to NASA, the explosion was five times more powerful than the previous two flares.
None of these flares launched a coronal mass ejection (CME), a cloud of magnetic plasma that could hit the Earth’s magnetic field or magnetosphere. CMEs are the trigger for geomagnetic storm disturbances that produce vibrant auroras.
The first flare the AR3950 spewed was a storm of magnitude X 1.8 (seen in two different wavelengths). Image: NASA/SDO
Throwing Radiation at Earth
However, all three threw a wave of radiation our way, causing a temporary radio blackout when they hit our planet’s protective shield. There are rumors the first two beacons were also responsible for causing cellular coverage outages from carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. However, scientists doubt this connection.
According to Spaceweather.com, AR3590 has a magnetic field that is so unstable that it stores energy for an X-class explosion. Sunspots have just appeared on the side of the sun close to Earth and will be heading towards us next week. If an even more powerful explosion occurs, the speck could launch a large number of CMEs right at us.
If that happens, not only will auroras appear, but they will also disrupt communications and infrastructure on the planet’s surface. Even worse, it can destroy satellites that are orbiting the Earth.
FINAL CLASS X EXPLOSION:
– 2021: 2 Blast
– 2022: 7 Explosions
– 2023: 13 Explosions
– 2024: 5 Explosions per February
2024-02-25 08:13:00
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