Last night (April 30), the sun created an extremely powerful solar flare that triggered widespread radio blackouts in the Pacific region. The flare peaked at 7:46 PM EDT (2346 GMT) and ended shortly after at 7:58 PM EDT (2358 GMT).
sunlight explosions Sunits surface emits intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. They are created when magnetic energy accumulates and is released in the Sun’s atmosphere. Solar flares are divided into letter groups based on size; Class X is the strongest. Then came the M-class flares, which were 10 times less powerful than the flares, and finally, class A flares, which are 10 times weaker than class B flares No visible results on Earth.
In each class, numbers 1 through 10 (and beyond that for class X flares) describe the relative power of a flare. The last April 30 eruption occurred at M9.53. According to spaceweatherlive.comThat puts it just under a fraction of an X-class solar flare, as measured by NASA’s GOES-16 satellite.
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Due to the strong X-ray pulse and the extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted during the event, shortwave radio blackouts such as those witnessed in the Pacific are common shortly after powerful solar flare explosions. Radiation moves towards: Soil -most speed of light and ionizes the top earth atmosphere when it reaches us.
This ionization results in a higher density medium through which high-frequency shortwave radio signals must attempt to pass to support communication over long distances. Interacting radio waves electrons Energy is lost due to more frequent collisions in ionized layers, which can lead to radio signals being distorted or completely absorbed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Space Weather Prediction Center.
Radiation from the solar flare on April 30 affected the Pacific regions, the sunny part of the Earth at the time of the eruption. “Marines and amateur radio operators may have noticed loss of signal below 20 MHz for 30 minutes after the peak of the flare.” According to Spaceweather.com.
Solar activity increases as it approaches solar maximum, which is the peak of solar activity during the sun’s approximately 11-year lifespan. solar cycleIt is indicated by the frequency sunspots.
Despite the numerous sunspots currently visible on the Sun’s surface, our star has remained relatively quiet in recent weeks. But not anymore.
A near-X-class solar flare erupted in AR3654 from the sunspot region; the most powerful explosion ever to occur in this area.
“It’s always exciting when a sunspot region unlocks its potential. AR3654 did it.” Solar scientist Alex Young shared a post on X.
“Despite high sunspot counts over the last few weeks, tonight’s near-X-class #SolarFlare is the first decent-sized explosion seen in a long time! When and where will the next X-class event come from?” Solar astrophysicist Ryan French shared a post on X.
Solar scientists watch the sun carefully as it approaches solar maximum because solar activity can affect our lives on Earth.
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Powerful flares can significantly impact spacecraft. satellites and ground-based technologies move at the speed of light and give little notice before attacking. That’s why numerous organizations, including NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA), monitor the sun closely. These organizations can send alerts to technology and infrastructure sectors vulnerable to solar flare activity so that appropriate precautions can be taken in the event of potentially harmful space weather.
“We cannot ignore space weatherBut we can take appropriate precautions to protect ourselves,” says NASA.
But you don’t need to worry; So-called “killer explosions” do not exist, and although solar flares have the potential to significantly disrupt the technological world, they do not contain enough energy to cause permanent damage to the Earth.
“Even in the worst case scenario, the Sun’s explosions are not physically capable of destroying the Earth,” NASA says.