Sun Slings Largest Solar Flare Yet: Coronal Mass Ejection Hurtles to Earth


Solar Flare

The sun has let loose its strongest flare yet today. Classified as a M6.5 flare, it was associated with an Earth-direction coronal mass ejection (CME), a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space and can reach our planet days later.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation that can sling the harmful material through space toward Earth. Fortunately, this radiation cannot pass through our atmosphere to impact humans on the ground. However, it can sometimes disturb the atmosphere enough so that it disrupts radio signals.

This particular mid-level flare occurred at about 3:16 a.m. EDT. Ten times less powerful than the strongest flares, which are labeled X-class flares, it still caused a R2 radio blackout that has since subsided (blackouts are categorized between R1 and R5 on NOAA’s space weather scales).

Read More  Science World Report.



Categories: Signs in the sun moon and stars

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4 replies

  1. Who-who-who, asked awl (the owl)?
    Albert, www

    Like

  2. The NK may launch the big one about the time when the plasma arrives by 15 Apr (tax day).
    Albert, www

    Like

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