NASA recorded a solar flare that is among the strongest in history. It caused radio interference, although the power record was still a long way off. The American space agency also released a recording of the event.
We haven’t seen such a huge burst of energy from the Sun since 2017 – c Welcome to SpaceWeather.com. The strongest solar flare of this cycle on December 14 recorded by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The event was classified as X2.8.
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The strongest solar flare in years
Solar flares are divided into three classes: the weakest C, the medium M and the highest X. The number indicates more precise data about the flare. The X2.8 is therefore a relatively strong burst of energy, but it is still a long way from breaking records. The largest ones are several or even a dozen times stronger. In 2003, a flare with a power estimated at even X45 was recorded – we read in space.com . However, this was calculated after the fact, because the measuring devices were only able to register power up to X28. Nevertheless, the government agency NOAA Space Water reports that the solar flare on December 14 was one of the strongest ever observed.
Solar flares are usually accompanied by coronal mass ejections, which shoot solar plasma into space, which approaches the Earth at a speed of millions of kilometers per hour (2,100 km/s). This time was no different, as the US Air Force had already reported a burst of radio frequency solar energy that could reach speeds of up to 7.5 million km/h (2.1 thousand km/s). Such events can be a source of an electromagnetic storm. This may, in turn, result in interruptions in the reception of the radio signal and the appearance of strong aurora borealis. Already on Thursday, radio signal disruptions were reported – writes CBS Boston. It is still too early to determine the power of the coronal mass ejection, but it can be expected that within a few days we will be able to observe the aurora borealis, which have been clearly visible even in Poland in recent months.
Surprising solar activity
For several months now, scientists have been surprisingly noticing that solar activity is growing faster than expected and may reach its maximum at the very beginning of 2024 (previously it was estimated that it would happen in 2025). This is indicated, among others, by: an unusual, increasing number of sunspots, more frequent magnetic storms, and a greater number of solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
The sun changes its activity within an average of 11-year cycles, although these can be shorter, lasting 8 years, or longer, lasting up to 14 years. In each of them, solar activity increases for several years, reaching a maximum, and then decreases for several years until it reaches a minimum. During this time, the north and south magnetic poles change places. It is not clear what the reason for solar cycles occurs. However, scientists can calculate approximately when subsequent periods of solar activity begin and end.
2023-12-15 09:42:00
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