Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday captured an image of the Sun emitting a mid-level solar flare that peaked at 1.01 am EST (11.31am IST). Solar flares are powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation that could last from minutes to hours. Nasa classified the flare as an M5.5 class flare, an x-ray flare of moderate severity.
“The Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on Jan. 20, 2022, peaking at 1:01 a.m. EST,” the US space agency said.
While harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, when intense, it can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. According to Nasa, the increased level of X-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation leads to ionization in the lower layers of the ionosphere on the sunlit side of Earth.
When a strong enough solar flare occurs, radio waves that interact with electrons in layers lose energy due to the more frequent collisions that occur in the higher density environment in the lower layers of the ionosphere. This could lead to degradation and complete absorption of HF radio signals, resulting in a radio blackout.
“Solar flares usually take place in active regions, which are areas on the Sun marked by the presence of strong magnetic fields; typically associated with sunspot groups. As these magnetic fields evolve, they can reach a point of instability and release energy in a variety of forms. These include electromagnetic radiation, which are observed as solar flares,” Space Weather Prediction Center of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says on its website.
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