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The sun has just spat out the strongestsolar flareof the current solar hertz , which began in 2019 , according to a breaking report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’s ( NOAA)Space Weather Prediction Center .
The monster flare is a category X8.7 , making it considerably stronger than theX2.2 flarethat erupted from the sun last calendar week — triggering wireless blackout andwidespread aurorason Earth that were visible as far south as Mexico .
A composite image of the May 14 solar flare taken by the GOES-16 satellite (left) and NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory (right)
However , the latest flare is unlikely to lead in any geomagnetic tempest or aurora bodily process , as the sunspot group creditworthy for the blast is located at the very edge of the seeable side ofthe sunlight , according to NOAA . However , high - frequency radiocommunication blackouts are still likely on Earth .
If the flare produces anycoronal mass ejections(CMEs ) — mammoth , eminent - speed plumes of charged solar particles — they are not likely to impact Earth directly , as was the case during last weekend ’s vivacious display of auroras .
That said , the same monster group of sunspots — which is called active macula region 3664 and measures more than 15 Earths all-encompassing — is creditworthy for both last week ’s X2.2 flare and today ’s X8.7 flare , NOAA report . The grouping has spat out numerous other ten - class flares over the past several Day , but it will soon be entirely out of view of our planet .
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Solar flare are powerful outburst of electromagnetic radiation that result from charismatic disturbances on the Sunday . They fall out when charismatic field melodic phrase in the sunshine ’s atmosphere entangle and snap , releasing large amount of excess energy , including hefty X - light beam and ultraviolet radiation sickness . These twisted line egress fromsunspots — darker , cooler regions on the sunshine ’s surface that form when magnetic field of honor from rich within our star push up to the aerofoil .
CORRECTION to previous post : Flare magnitude 8.7 , not 8.8 . pic.twitter.com/NSdmhTWIYHMay 14 , 2024
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Solar flare can also launch CMEs outward into place , hitting any planet , satellites or other object in their path . CMEs that gain Earth gun trigger geomagnetic storm , which can ensue in auroras , as well as negative effects such as power power system failures and satellite malfunction .
All of these extreme solar phenomenon — solar flares , sunspot and CMEs — become more vulgar during the peak of the sun ’s 11 - year activity cycle , know as solar utmost . The current cycle per second , solar cps 25 , began in 2019 , and scientist suspect that the sunmay before long recruit its solar maximum stage , if it has n’t already . Only after the maximum ends , and solar bodily process go bad down again , will scientists make out for sure when it top out .
The sun has n’t spat out any flare stronger than X8.7 since September 2017 , when it emitted an X11.8 and X13.3 flare within a few years of each other , grant tospaceweatherlive.com .
