The enormous solar flares of light and energy are not yet complete. Officials said on Tuesday that the sun just emitted another major solar flare—and that it’s the strongest one so far in the current solar cycle.
As of just before 1:00 p.m. ET, the most recent flare had an X-class classification of X8.7, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. X-class solar flares are the strongest of solar flares, which are described by NASA as “giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light, and high-speed particles into space.” It could have caused widespread disruptions of high-frequency radio communications for approximately an hour on the sunlit side of the Earth, according to the center, which classified the flare as an R3 or “strong” flare. During the identical time period, it might have also caused problems with low-frequency navigation signals.
The center added on social media that flares of this magnitude are uncommon and stated in its update, “Region 3664 is not yet complete!”
Sunspot 3664 was the origin of the outburst. NOAA reported last week that this location, along with region 3663, comprises a cluster “significantly larger than Earth.” And as of last Thursday, 3664 was only continuing “to grow and increase in magnetic complexity and has evolved into a higher threat of increased solar flare risk.”
Two other flares, rated X1.7 and X1.2, also erupted shortly before, although they were also not anticipated to be linked to any major impacts on Earth.
Concerns have not yet been raised regarding a coronal mass ejection or a significant discharge of solar plasma and magnetic field, notwithstanding the flare’s intensity, according to officials. Those CMEs are what lead to geomagnetic storms like the rare extreme storm that occurred over the weekend, sending the northern lights to far lower latitudes than normal and causing chaos for GPS systems that farmers rely on at the height of planting season.
“Due to its location, any CME associated with this flare will likely not have any geomagnetic impacts on Earth,” the Space Weather Prediction Center said.
Earth is currently in Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2020. National Weather Service officials stated that the previous solar cycle, which averaged eleven years, was the weakest in a century. NOAA officials immediately observed “a steady increase in sunspot activity,” despite the likelihood that the current cycle will be relatively feeble and similar to the previous one.
Doug Biesecker, a solar physicist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, stated in 2020, “Although we do not see a particularly active Solar Cycle 25, violent eruptions from the Sun are possible at any moment.”
