CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The sun unleashed its most powerful solar flare in almost 20 years on Tuesday, following a series of severe solar storms that recently impacted Earth and led to stunning displays of northern lights in unusual locations.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that this solar flare is the most significant one of the current 11-year solar cycle, which is nearing its peak. Fortunately, Earth is not expected to be directly affected this time as the flare occurred on a part of the sun facing away from our planet.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the intense X-ray flare, which was classified as an X8.7 on the scale for solar flares, marking the strongest event of its kind since 2005. Experts at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado suggested that further analysis may reveal an even higher magnitude for this event.
Over the past week, a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections have posed threats to power grids and communication systems on Earth and in space. While the ejection associated with Tuesday's flare seems to have been directed away from Earth, ongoing assessments are being conducted to confirm this.
The recent geomagnetic storm over the weekend caused disruptions, including an environmental satellite entering a protective hibernation mode due to reduced altitude caused by space weather. Additionally, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were advised to seek shelter in areas with strong radiation shielding, although NASA assured that they were never in any immediate danger.
This latest solar flare serves as a reminder of the sun's dynamic nature and the potential impacts of space weather on our technological infrastructure. Scientists and space agencies continue to monitor solar activity closely to better understand and predict these phenomena.
This story has been updated to correct that it is the biggest solar flare in nearly two decades, not nearly a decade.
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