Massive solar flare unlike any in years recorded on New Year's Eve

A massive solar flare was detected on the Sun’s surface on New Year’s Eve, prompting space observers to issue a warning to high-frequency radio users. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Sunday (Dec 31) released an image of the flare, which looks like a bright spot on the surface of the Sun.

“A flare is an eruption of energy from the sun that generally lasts minutes to hours,” the SWPC said. The flare spotted on Sunday was categorised as an X5 flare.

What’s X class flare?

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NASA classifies solar flares based on strength, similar to earthquake categorisation. The scale includes B-class, C-class, M-class, and X-class, with each letter representing a ten-fold increase in energy output.

X-class flares, surpassing 9, can lead to significant impacts, such as radiation storms affecting satellites and causing global transmission issues. The strongest recorded X-class flare was an X45 in 2003.

Flares of B- or C-class are too weak for Earth's notice, while M-class flares may cause radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms.

The recent X5 flare, though smaller than the 2003 record, was the strongest since September 2017. It had the power to affect high-frequency radio signals, causing temporary degradation or loss on the sunlit side of Earth.

The general public had no reason to worry, but the SWPC warned that emergency managers could experience disruptions. It also added that the chances of observing auroras from Sunday's flare were slim.

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As per SWPC’s forecast, a minor geomagnetic storm was expected Tuesday night (Jan 2); however, there was an even slimmer possibility of spotting aurora.

Solar activity expected to intensify

As the Sun continues through Solar Cycle 25, Solar activity and CMEs are expected to intensify throughout 2024.

According to NOAA, “Solar cycles are 11-year periods when the sun flips its magnetic poles, sparking space weather like flares and CMEs, which are explosions of plasma and magnetic material from the sun that can reach Earth in as little as 15 to 18 hours.”

(With inputs from agencies)