NASA on Friday released stunning footage of a powerful flare shooting out from Earth’s sun.
This burst appears to be a flashing light at the top right of the huge star. The American space agency described it as an M5.5-level flare, or moderately strong.
The solar flare, released at around 01:01 EST, was captured by Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) which continuously observes the sun.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory tracks the sun using a fleet spacecraft. They study the entire solar system, including its atmosphere as well as the magnetic fields and particles that surround it.
‘Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts,’ NASA shared in a statement.
Scroll down for more videos
NASA on Friday released stunning footage of a powerful flare shooting out from Earth’s sun
M-class flares rank second behind X class flares. They can reach all the way to X20 and represent an extreme sunspot event.
Solar storms are extreme space weather that occurs when solar flares or winds cause plasma to boil-hot and creates dangerous conditions.
While most solar storms can be avoided, severe effects could result from a strong enough impact on Earth.
However, Friday’s sun flare was less intense than others that were emitted by our sun over the years. One observed in 1582 was called a “great fire”
This bright flash of energy looks like it is coming from the top right of the huge star. The American space agency has classified the flare as an M5.5-level flare, or moderately strong.
The flare was actually seen over dozens of cities across Europe and Asia, and eye-witness accounts of the event were just uncovered in April 2021.
Scientists at Cornell University found a report of a ‘fiery red display in the sky’ that lasted three days, while another said ‘fire rays arose above the castle which were dreadful and fearful.’
The event caused a huge solar storm. However, people of the time didn’t know this. Modern-day astronomers use the storms to predict the future.
The solar storm that hit the Earth on March 8, 1582 is comparable to those in 1909 and 1989, which suggest they are a ‘a once-in-a-century occurrence and ‘one or two can be expected in the 21st century,’ experts say.
A similar severe solar storm could cause damage to the modern world and disrupt power lines worldwide.
Pero Ruiz Soares, an eyewitness of the 1582 solar storm, wrote: ‘All that part of the sky appeared burning in fiery flames; it seemed that the sky was burning.’
‘Nobody remembered having seen something like that…At midnight, great fire rays arose above the castle which were dreadful and fearful.
Scientists at Cornell University found eye-witness observations who report a ‘fiery red display in the sky’ that lasted three days, while another said ‘fire rays arose above the castle which were dreadful and fearful.’ Pictured accounts reported over the three day event
It is believed that the solar storm of 1909 was the worst of all the 20th century’s. Japanese auroral records show that bluish colors began to emerge first. Reddish was next.
‘The following day, it happened the same at the same hour but it was not so great and terrifying. Everybody went to the countryside to see this great sign.’
Universe Today first reports that the 1909 solar storm was one of the strongest of the 20th-century.
The aurorae were spectacular and caused severe geomagnetic disturbance.
It was recorded in historical records as an impact on Earth on September 9. This shock wave came from the sun’s solar wind and was then linked to the eruption of plasma from an active spot.
Japanese auroral records show that bluish colors first appeared, then reddish. It also disrupted communications by telegraph in low and mid latitudes.
SOLAR SSTORMS REPRESENT A CLEAR RISK TO ASTRONAUTS, AND CAN DAMAGE STELLITES
Solar stormsYou can divide the term “solar activity”, or a measure of solar activity into four main componentsThese can have an impact on Earth.
- Solar flaresLarge explosions in the atmosphere of the sun. Photons travel directly out of the flare location to create these flares. Only solar flares can impact Earth when they are on Earth’s side.
- Coronal mass ejections (CME)These large clouds are made up of magnetic field and plasma that rise from the sun. They can explode in any direction. Then they continue in the same direction as before, cutting through solar wind. If they aim at Earth, the impact of these clouds is limited to Earth.
- High-speed solar wind streamsThese winds are caused by coronal holes in the sun. They can form at any location on the sun. However, they usually impact Earth only when the hole is closer to the sun’s equator.
- Photons of solar energyThese high-energy charged particles are thought to be released by the shocks that form at the fronts of solar flares or coronal mass ejections. CME clouds can produce solar-energetic particles by cutting through solar wind. Because they are charged they follow magnetic field lines that run between Earth and Sun. The impact of charged particles only will be made if they follow the magnetic fields lines intersecting Earth.
Although these might seem scary, they are not immediately dangerous for astronauts due to the low orbit of manned missions.
They do need to be aware of cumulative exposure from spacewalks.
The coronal holes of the sun are shown in this x-ray photo. Corona is the outer layer of the solar atmosphere. These magnetic fields can be closed and cause sudden and violent gas bubbles and tongues to burst into the atmosphere. This phenomenon is called coronal mass eruptions.
Solar storms cause damage
The damage caused by solar flares to satellites could be devastating and can have a huge financial impact.
These charged particles could also pose a threat to airlines by disrupting the Earth’s magnetic field.
Even large flares can cause electricity grids to go out of control and disrupt energy supply.
Coronal Mass Ejections are geomagnetic storms that strike Earth and enhance aurora.
They may also disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates or overload electric systems.
The potential for a large inflow of energy to cause irreparable damage to transformers could result from high voltage power grids.
It could result in the closing of businesses or homes all over the globe.
NASA, Solar Storm and Space Weather