NASA has captured a stunning image of an awesome burst of energy erupting from the Sun.
The enormous volley of charged particles, known as a solar flare, was so powerful that it caused radio blackouts on Earth on Tuesday.
According to Nasa, the “strong solar flare” was fired from the Sun on Monday at 9:25 p.m. UK time (4:25 p.m. EST).
Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which tracks the Sun’s activity, captured a photo of the rare event.
In a statement, Nasa said that large solar flares can disrupt Earth’s magnetic field, scattering radio and GPS signals.
According to the NOAA, a smattering of radio blackouts were observed following the eruption of electromagnetic radiation.
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Further solar activity is expected this week.
Sunday’s flare is classified as an X1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number signals its strength.
An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.
Solar storms are caused by CMEs and solar flares, which are huge expulsions of hot material called plasma from the Sun’s outer layer.
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They can lead to the appearance of colourful auroras by energising particles in our planet’s atmosphere
Each solar storm is graded by severity on a scale of one to five, with a G1 described as “minor” and a G5 as “extreme”.
At the upper end of the scale, storms wreak havoc on our planet’s magnetic field, which can disrupt power grids and communications networks.
“Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground,” Nasa says.
“However – when intense enough – they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.”
In the past, larger solar flares have wreaked havoc on our planet.
In 1989, a strong solar eruption shot so many electrically charged particles at Earth that the Canadian Province of Quebec lost power for nine hours.
As well as causing issues for our tech, they can cause harm to astronauts working on the International Space Station, either through radiation exposure or by interfering with mission control communications.
The Earth’s magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares.
The sun is currently at the start of a new 11-year solar cycle, which usually sees eruptions and flares grow more intense and extreme.
These events are expected to peak around 2025 and it’s hoped Nasa’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft will observe them all as it aims to fly within 26 million miles of the Sun.
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