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Yesterday, it was the turn of Mars, and today, December 9, the Earth is again the central focus of the unceasing solar activity on the Sun. Just four hours ago, a massive solar flare eruption took place on the Sunspot AR3511, according to data from NASA. The solar flare was measured to be M5.49, which is the highest-intensity flare we have seen in the last three months. The flare subsequently triggered a short-wave radio blackout on Earth. It is possible that the flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud…

Just recently, it was revealed that Earth could be in the firing line of a solar storm as sigmoid eruption was observed on the surface of the Sun. This eruption hurled out a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) towards Earth, which has the potential to deliver a weak blow to the Earth's magnetic field. However, this isn't the only threat. In a new development, the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has tracked a dangerous sunspot and it could hurl an M-class solar flare towards Earth. This is the latest solar phenomenon to…

It has been three days of non-stop solar activity from the Sun, and it does not appear to slow down anytime soon. After a minor solar storm on Monday and three different solar flare eruptions on Tuesday, the last 24 hours have also been filled with similar activity. Another solar flare, stronger than any we have seen this week, erupted yesterday, December 6, and a separate ‘sigmoid eruption' may have hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) towards the Earth, data from NASA has shown. The latter can spark a solar storm on…

Yesterday, a massive sunspot spanning 200,000 kilometers containing as many as 12 dark cores was reported on the Sun. As per information from the NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), there was a high chance that it could explode at any moment, and that is exactly what happened just an hour ago. An M-class solar flare was seen erupting on the sunspot, whose extreme ultraviolet radiation sparked a short-wave radio blackout on the Earth. While NASA has not been able to confirm the presence of any Earth-bound coronal mass…

The Sun is at the center of our solar system and is essential for life to exist as it provides warmth, without which Earth would've been a frozen and desolate wasteland. However, it also poses a threat to the planet on some occasions. With the peak of the solar cycle 25 nearing, we've already seen numerous CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other particles impact the planet. While most of them have left Earth unscathed, a handful of them have caused effects such as radio disturbances, and power grid failures.In a new…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In 2024, the youngest of Japan's baby boomers will turn 75. The boomers are called the "bunched" generation in Japan because they were born in a short spurt in the late 1940s, in the aftermath of the end of the second world war. The sheer size of this cohort has made it a lightning rod for many of…

The sun is producing fireworks—letting off a trio of solar flares in just two hours amid a period of high activity that may cause mild consequences on Earth. Late July 17 and early July 18, the sun let off three of what scientists call M-class flares. (Solar flares are bursts of radiation from the sun and are categorized by their strength. X-class are the most powerful, followed by M-class; C, B and A-class flares are each progressively 10 times weaker.) According to SpaceWeather.com, the third and most powerful flare’s…

The Earth just experienced a minor solar storm yesterday, July 17, that sparked aurora displays at some locations in high-latitude areas. But just as soon as this solar activity subsided, another, bigger problem arrived. In the early hours today, July 18, a big M6-class solar flare erupted on the unstable region of AR3363 on the Sun, as detected by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory. Researchers believe this solar flare is more dangerous than X-class flares due to the long duration of the event. It has also released a…

Russian scientists have predicted ‘powerful’ solar flare activity that may affect communication protocols. According to a report by Reuters, scientists observed three flares on the Sun which can affect short-wave radio conditions on Earth. The Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics in Moscow said class X flares along with proton flares are expected. These conditions may even deteriorate short-wave radio communication which is used by military, maritime and emergency operators. One of the solar flares observed by the…

The coronal mass ejection (CME) that is racing to strike Earth tomorrow, July 13, is still on its way and it is likely to cause a terrifying solar storm. However, before that could hit, another solar menace has already struck the planet. On July 11, the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) detected a huge explosion on the northeastern limb of the Sun, which is believed to be a region where a new sunspot had emerged. The explosion produced a powerful M6-class solar flare eruption. The eruption was so strong that the…