The approach of solar maximum, when the Sun reaches the peak of its activity during the current cycle, is yielding some extreme events. Last Saturday (13), a class X solar flare, the most intense degree.
The explosion occurred at sunspot AR3738 at around 11:34 p.m. (Brasília time) and was observed by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The eruption was so intense that it caused a blackout in shortwave radio in several parts of the world. The map below shows the affected areas in red, including Japan, Australia and parts of Russia. Brazil was not affected by the event.
Shortwave radio blackouts in Southeast Asia, Australia and Japan. (Image credit: NOAA/SWPC)
Despite this, the X-grade solar flare is unlikely to cause any major problems. Solar physicist Keith Strong said on X (formerly Twitter) that “it is unlikely that there will be any geomagnetic activity as a result of the high solar activity.”
For aurora lovers, it is also important to note that the event was too short to produce a coronal mass ejection (CME). Without the expulsion of plasma from the Sun, it will not be possible to see auroras here on Earth.
CME WATCH – 2024.7.14: I waited until the latest data came in about the time of the X flare and subsequently. There is no sign of any CMEs from the string of M flares and the X2 last night. So there is unlikely to be any geomagnetic activity as a result of the high solar activity pic.twitter.com/OTFRIz1YSq
— Keith Strong (@drkstrong) July 14, 2024
What is a solar flare?
The Sun has an 11-year cycle of activity; It is currently in what astronomers call Solar Cycle 25; This number refers to the cycles that have been closely monitored by scientists; At the peak of the solar cycles, the star has a series of spots on its surface, which represent concentrations of energy; As magnetic lines become entangled in sunspots, they can “snap” and generate gusts of wind;
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Flares are classified by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a letter system – A, B, C, M and X – based on the intensity of the X-rays they release, with each level being 10 times the intensity of the previous one; Class X denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about their strength; An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, and so on; As the Sun rotates on its axis every 27 days, sunspots disappear from view for a period of time, then become visible to Earth again.
