The Sun is approaching the peak of its activity in the current solar cycle, an 11-year period in which its magnetic field goes through a cycle. This means that the Sun’s north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again. During this period, the Sun releases many flares that have the capability of affecting the normal life on Earth. Just days ago, two colossal solar flares have emerged from sunspot region AR3663 and Earth is in the firing line.
The first eruption occurred on May 2 and it was an X-class flare, the most powerful category of solar flares, according to space.com. It cause shortwave radio blackouts across Australia, Japan and much of China.
“X FLARE! Sunspot region AR3663 just produced an X1.7 flare, the 11th largest flare so far this cycle. It was an impulsive flare lasting a total of about 25 minutes and peaking at 02:22 U.T,” solar physicist Keith Strong wrote on X.
X FLARE! Sunspot region AR3663 just produced an X1.7 flare, the 11th largest flare so far this cycle. It was an impulsive flare lasting a total of about 25 minutes and peaking at 02:22 U.T. This is the 30th X flare so far during SC25, compared to just 19 at the same stage in SC24 pic.twitter.com/zYgvqjm0Af
— Keith Strong (@drkstrong) May 3, 2024
The second eruption was reported on May 3, which was an M-class flare, the outlet further said.
The newly emerged sunspot has seen a number of flares erupting on the surface of the Sun. At the time of both eruptions, the sunspot was facing Earth and a coronal mass ejection (CME) could have accompanied at least one of these solar flares. CME is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field.
Space.com said that an Earth-directed CME can wreak havoc with power grids, telecommunication networks and orbiting satellites, as well as expose astronauts to dangerous doses of radiation.
As per NASA, solar flares happen when powerful magnetic fields in and around the Sun reconnect. They are created when magnetic energy builds up in the solar atmosphere and is released. Flares are classified according to their strength. After the most powerful X-class, there are M-class flares that are 10 times less powerful, followed by C-class and finally, B-class flares.
Days before the latest eruption on the Sun’s surface, spaceweatherlive.com reported an M9.53 flare on April 30.
