Two powerful solar flares hit the Earth – The sky at the turn of the week can get new colors – 2024-05-04 17:51:56

On October 11, 2022, Nasa captured an image of an X1-level solar flare. NASA, ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS

Space.com reports on the recent appearance of an active sunspot region called AR3663, which has already caused two powerful solar flares. Moreover, the difference between the eruptions was only six hours.

As a result of at least the second eruption, it is suspected that a coronal mass ejection, i.e. a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). The result can be, for example, damage to telecommunications networks on Earth.

The first eruption occurred on Thursday evening, May 2. It was the most powerful eruption in the X class. As a result, at least in Australia, Japan and a large part of China there were intermittent disturbances on the radio waves.

The second eruption happened yesterday at 11 am Finnish time. Based on the current data, there were fewer disturbances then. It was the second strongest, M class solar flare.

When a CME hits the ground, it can cause, among other things, damage to electricity networks, telecommunication networks, and cause disturbances to satellites orbiting the earth.

Northern lights for the weekend

On the other hand, eruptions can trigger geomagnetic storms, which in turn accelerate dynamic aurora borealis outside their “normal” polar region. At the weekend, it is therefore possible to see the northern lights as a result of solar flares, atypically for the time of year, all the way to southernmost Finland.

Solar flares emit powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation. They are created when the magnetic energy accumulated in the sun’s atmosphere is released.

Solar flares are classified according to size in lettered groups. The X class is the most efficient, the M class is the second most efficient. The intensities of solar flares weaken tenfold between power classes. There are five categories in total. Class A, i.e. the weakest measured solar flares, have not been found to cause any consequences on Earth.