NASA solar flare

Earth has been bombarded with solar activity in the last few months. In July, it was revealed that 2023 had already broken a 21-year record for the highest number of sunspots which were even more than initially predicted by scientists. But what does the rising number of sunspots mean? The number of sunspots on the Sun is directly related to the intensity of the solar peak. So, the higher the number of sunspots, the higher the chances of solar storms. Solar storms are caused by coronal mass ejections (CME) particles…

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…

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…

The Sun has turned volatile and its activity is expected to increase further as the peak of solar cycle 25 comes closer. The current solar cycle has already exceeded expectations, with more number of sunspots already seen than predicted. Earth could be in line to face CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other particles with potentially disastrous consequences in the coming weeks and months.In a new development, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which carries a full suite of instruments to observe the Sun, has…

In the early hours of July 12, a single M-class solar flare was produced by an emerging sunspot on the northeastern limb of the Sun, and it sparked blackouts over the North American continent, as per reports. But since then, as many as 8 different M-class solar flares have been produced by the same region, sunspot AR3372, the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory has detected. The flares have sparked a rolling series of blackouts all across the Earth. The sunspot appears to be highly reactive and crackling with activity. This…

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…

Solar flares have been frequent in these past few months and as we move towards the solar maximum, the chances of solar storms striking Earth increase. Solar flares, CMEs, and geomagnetic storms can disrupt the power grid, shut down radio communications and even destroy satellites! A solar storm that is strong enough can even destroy the Internet. According to NASA, solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth. Because flares are made of photons, they travel out directly from the…

The Sun has been showing all its might for the past couple of months and as we approach the solar maximum that will likely occur in 2025, its wrath is only expected to increase. For the unaware, solar maximum is the period of greatest solar activity during the Sun's 11-year cycle. At solar max, the changes in the Sun's magnetic field result in more solar activity such as sunspots, CMEs, eruptions, and more. The effects of this activity were seen on July 2 as the Sun hurled out a terrifying X-class solar flare.Solar flare…

Our Sun has a thin layer of second atmosphere that lies just above the photosphere as well as a huge corona. This is the region where we see most of the solar phenomena such as solar flares, prominences, and coronal mass ejections reactions, most of which can directly impact Earth. While Sun's energy is crucial for life to exist on Earth, its related solar phenomena can cause severe damage, especially to tech instruments. Just a few months ago, the worst solar storm in 6 years hit Earth when a menacing cloud of coronal…

Yesterday, it was reported that multiple highly active regions on the Sun were spotted on the farside of the Earth that are threatening our planet with some powerful solar storms. But even before that, one of the Earth-facing sunspots, AR3331, went unstable yesterday, June 9, and produced an M2.5-class solar flare. The incident was spotted by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The eruption sparked a short-wave radio blackout in Mexico and the southern region of the USA, marking the second such event this week.…