The sun recently released an X-class solar flare causing disruption to radio communications across parts of the United States and the Pacific Ocean. This significant solar event was observed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and classified as an X1.0 flare.
Understanding Solar Flares
A solar flare is a massive explosion on the Sun that transpires when energy stored in twisted magnetic fields, typically located above sunspots, is abruptly released. These bright areas on the sun can persist from minutes to hours and heat the material to many millions of degrees within a matter of minutes. The solar flare emits a burst of radiation spanning the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays.
The Impact of Solar Flares
Solar flares can profoundly impact radio communications, power grids, and navigation signals. They are also known to pose dangers to astronauts and spacecraft due to the intense radiation emitted.
Solar Flare Classification
Solar flares are categorized into five main classes according to their brightness in the x-ray wavelengths. These include A, B, C, M, and X, with each class being at least ten times more potent than the preceding one.
X-Class Flares: Major Solar Events
These are major occurrences that can instigate global radio blackouts and enduring radiation storms in the upper atmosphere.
M-Class Flares: Medium-Sized Episodes
Usually, these trigger transient radio blackouts impacting Earth’s polar regions. Minor radiation storms may follow an M-class flare on occasion.
C-Class Flares: Minor Episodes
In comparison to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are minor events with scant noticeable effects on Earth. The smallest ones are classified as A-class, followed by other increasingly intense flares.
Solar Flares Vs. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
Solar flares and CMEs were once believed to have the same initiating factor. However, it is now understood that most CMEs, which are large bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines expelled from the Sun over several hours, are not associated with solar flares. Some CMEs are accompanied by flares, but this is not typically the case.
Impact of Major Solar Storms on Earth
If a significant solar storm reaches Earth, potential effects could include failure of GPS and navigation systems, damage to power grids, intense auroras over much of the Earth, disturbance to satellite orbits, and interruption of shortwave radio communication for aircraft flying over polar regions. These assertions were confirmed in a previous year’s question from the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
