what is a solar flare

Over the last few days, the Earth has suffered the onslaught from a solar flare, a geomagnetic storm and a coronal mass ejection (CME). But what are they and how do they differ? NASA explains. The last few days have been pretty terrifying for the Earth. Our planet has been suffering from a solar storm onslaught that included two different X-class solar flare eruptions and a geomagnetic storm, all within just a week. This has resulted in radio blackouts in Australia, New Zealand and South America as well as the…

Forecasters have issued a warning against 3 sunspots which could emit dangerous solar flares. The Sun has entered its middle age, estimated to be around 4.57 billion years. Scientists say during its last years in the solar system, the Sun will engulf nearby planets like Mercury, Venus and Earth. The study concluded that the Sun will reach its peak temperatures nearly 8 billion years into the future after which it will lower its surface temperature and increase its size. It is during this expansion that the Sun will…

An unstable Sunspot was observed on the solar surface which could result in solar flares being hurled out. The Sun's solar activity is at a high due to it being nearly in the middle of its 11-year solar cycle. As a result, Earth has been in the firing line of solar flares, solar storms, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and more solar phenomena for the past months, and more are expected as the Sun moves ahead in its cycle. Although this solar activity might seem harmless due to the distance of the Sun from our planet, they…

Sunspots on the Sun's surface sparked dangerous solar flares yesterday! Could these flares have caused any damage? There is cause to worry as Earth has been in the firing line of dangerous solar flares recently. Solar activity has been at a high due to the Sun being in the middle of its 11-year solar cycle, a time when it reaches its peak before subsiding over the next few years. As a result, sunspot eruptions, solar storms, solar flares and more, have all plagued Earth for the past months. Just yesterday, dangerous…

A scary sunspot could combine with another sunspot and hurl solar flares towards Earth! Here’s what you need to know. The solar activity is nearly at its peak due to the Sun being in the middle of its 11-year solar cycle, which has resulted in increased solar output. Our planet has been in the firing line of solar flares, solar storms, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and more for quite a while and more are expected as the Sun moves ahead in its cycle. Although this solar activity might seem harmless due to the distance…