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Although 2015 has only begun a few weeks ago, this year seems to be a remarkable one for science. On Monday, the American space agency captured an extremely powerful solar flare. In other words, major solar eruption was captured by NASA.
Monday morning, particularly at 11:24 p.m. EST, the sun has released with an incredible force a solar flare. The exciting and most beautiful natural phenomenon was caught by the American Solar Dynamics Observatory. This gigantic observatory’s main preoccupation is the study of the sun and any of its activities. It has been designed to capture solar activities and determine the shifts in Space Weather.
Solar flares are caused by an accumulation of magnetic energy which enhances and expands in the sun’s atmosphere. These explosions are monumentally strong and beautiful at the same time. In this context strong meaning the flare’s power is similar to 100-megaton atomic bomb.
The flame was categorized as a M-class solar flame, a second degree powerful solar flare. Nevertheless, the recorded event has proved to be five times more compelling and dynamic than a M1-class solar flare. The highest and most intense solar explosions are categorized as X-class flames. These are ten times even more powerful and astonishing than its previous class.
The solar eruption caused a shallow radio blackout only on the part of the Earth where the sun was shining. Such sun bursts are huge rays of radiation releases that affect the technical part of the Earth such as satellites or radio waves. It is not really that dangerous for humans.
The good news is that the observatory’s captures of the sun’s flare were publicly released. Videos and pictures can be seen regarding this outstanding phenomenon.
Space scientists say that the extent in which these flares are dangerous for humans is variable. These bursts of plasma, named CME- coronal mass ejection, escape the sun’s atmosphere and might produce geomagnetic storms. Also, a greater release of the sun’s plasma can also hit Earth within the next two days of its release.
In this regard, the LASCO coronagraph imagery searched for any coronal mass ejection. Luckily, such mass was not found. In case a CME would have formed, the coronagraph noted that the because of the eruption’s location, the coronal mass would not have touched planet Earth.
Nonetheless, the Space Weather forecast reported that this particular solar flare only affected the high-frequency radio waves for about ten minutes. This communicational blackout affected the lighted side of the Earth.
Image Source: Image Source: nasa
