The Sun had an outburst recently, releasing a flurry of solar flares and coronal mass in the solar system. Well, this might put on a show for skygazers soon. A sunspot called AR2824 ejected a series of many solar flares on May 22, which is “unlike anything we’ve seen in years,” as per astronomer Tony Philips from SpaceWeather.com.
Solar flares are bursts of electromagnetic energy at different wavelengths and can reach our planet within minutes. The latest burst is said to be so energetic that a lot of noise was caught on radio telescopes.
“This was a very hot and dynamic flare for sure,” Thomas Ashcraft told SpaceWeather.com. Thomas recorded the event with a radio telescope. “Strong solar radio emissions were present at all frequencies,” he added.
Geomagnetic storms are possible
This time around, the flares were coupled with multiple coronal ejections, which are particle blasts that move slowly than flares and have interesting impacts when they come in contact with the magnetic field of the Earth.
This collision might spark a geomagnetic storm resulting in brighter auroras at high and middle latitudes. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts the aurora borealis could be seen from Chicago from Tuesday evening.
It is also predicted that a possible G2-class geomagnetic storm might also interfere with some power systems and radios located at high latitudes. The strongest flare seen during the latest outburst was an M-class flare.
Flares to get more intense
Currently, the Sun is in its solar cycle where the activity increases, building towards a predicted peak that is expected to come in the middle of the decade. It means that what we are witnessing right now might just be a peek into what’s coming next. The flares and storms could be stronger in the coming years.
As per a new study, Sun’s outer atmosphere layer can reach temperatures of a whopping 1.7 million degrees Fahrenheit. Back in June 2020, the ESA released the closest images of the Sun that was captured by its Solar Orbiter, showing flares across the Sun’s surface for the first time in such details.
