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The sun set off its most powerful solar flare in more than three years on Sunday (November 29).
The solar flare, which is a sudden, bright explosion of electromagnetic energy, measured in M4.4 on the scale that astronomers use for solar storms. Class M eruptions are medium-sized eruptions (compared to small Class C eruptions and large Class X eruptions) and rank on a scale of 1 to 9, with higher numbers representing stronger eruptions.
The light burst from the M4.4 rocket was accompanied by coronal mass ejection, which can often accompany solar flares. Coronal mass ejections are large emissions of plasma and magnetic fields from the solar corona or its outermost layer.
Related: Wrath of the sun: here are the worst solar storms in history
This rocket started a whole new solar cycle (solar cycle 25), which began in December 2019 and was announced in September. The previous solar cycle ran from 2008 to 2019, and although this new phase of solar activity started with this powerful explosion, scientists believe it will be quite calm, much like solar cycle 24 before it.
Solar time follows an 11-year activity cycle and tracking these cycles and the ever-changing activity of the sun is essential not only for science, but also for our daily life here on Earth. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections release incredible bursts of electromagnetic radiation. These sudden expulsions of energy can be so intense that their effects can reach Earth, causing radio blackouts and other technological disruptions.
But, while X-class solar flares might be capable of causing radio blackouts around the world, M-class flares like the one we experienced on Sunday usually only trigger minor consequences on our home planet.
With this bright explosion, X-rays and ultraviolet radiation from the solar flare created a shortwave radio power outage over the South Atlantic Ocean, astronomer Tony Phillips reported on Spaceweather.com, retailer some of the technological effects of this eruption.
Although the rocket appeared as an M-class from Earth, it may in fact have been a stronger eruption, since the event partially took place behind the sun. “The explosion was partially eclipsed by the body of the sun. It could have been a Class X event,” Phillips wrote. However, the spacecraft had a better view of the flare, so soon we should have more details on the exact size of the event.
Email Chelsea Gohd at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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