X-Class Solar Flare

X-Class Solar Flare

News: Recently, a powerful solar flare, classified as an “X-class” flare, hit Earth, causing an eruption of X-ray and ultraviolet radiation.

What is X-Class Solar Flare?
• An X-class solar flare is the most powerful type of solar flare that the sun can produce. Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high-speed particles into space.
• They are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are clouds of magnetized plasma that can travel toward Earth.
• Solar flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are A-class, followed by B, C, M and X.

Impacts of X-Class Solar Flares:
• X-class solar flares can pose a potential threat to human activities and technologies on Earth and in space.
• They can cause radio blackouts that affect communication systems, such as cell phones, GPS, and radio broadcasts. They can also cause radiation storms that can harm satellites, spacecraft, and astronauts. They can also cause geomagnetic storms that can disrupt power grids, pipelines, and navigation systems.
• The frequency of solar flares and eruptions is expected to increase as the Sun approaches the peak of its 11- year solar cycle in 2025.