2023-12-14 23:15:14
The Sun has just reminded us of its immense power. Our star unleashed an X-class solar flare early Thursday evening, releasing an immense pulse of high-energy radiation, captured on video by the Dynamic NASA Solar. Physicists classify strong flares into three categories: B for the weakest, C and M for intermediate, and X for the most powerful.
The eruption, which occurred Thursday at 6:02 p.m. (metropolitan French time), was classified as X2.8, making it the most powerful solar flare detected since September 2017, according to SpaceWeather.com.
Powerful flares are often accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), propelling immense clouds of solar plasma into space at speeds of several million kilometers per hour (see explanation at the end of the article). It appears that a CME was associated with this eruption, with “an Earth-directed component” at a speed that might exceed 2100 km/s (7.56 million km/h). The US Air Force also reports a Type II solar radio flare.
The Earth’s atmosphere protects radiation harmful from solar flares. However, this radiation can affect our lives, for example by disrupting the signals of satellites GPS and communication, and causing radio outages. The radio broadcast of the eruption has already “caused a significant shortwave radio blackout over the Americas,” writes SpaceWeather.com. The possible effect of the CME is yet to come.
Mapping of the shortwave radio outage caused by this eruption
We may see more solar activity soon as the Sun becomes more and more active these days.
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) in detail
The coronal mass ejection, commonly referred to by its acronym CME (Coronal Mass Ejection), is a particularly impressive astronomical phenomenon. This is a huge expulsion of plasma, accompanied by magnetic fields, from the solar crownthe outer layer of the’atmosphere of the Sun. These ejections can release billions of tons of solar material into space at speeds of up to several million kilometers per hour.
CMEs are often associated with solar flares, although they can occur independently. When a CME reaches Earth, it interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, potentially causing geomagnetic storms. These storms are responsible for phenomena such as the Northern and Southern Lights, but can also disrupt communication and communication systems. navigationas well as electrical networks.
Monitoring and studying CMEs is crucial to understanding solar activity and to anticipate potential impacts on our technology and our environment. Space missions such as NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) play a critical role inobservation and the analysis of these spectacular events.
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