Source- HT-Tech
A colossal solar eruption, marking the most substantial Solar flare in recent years, illuminated the skies on New Year’s Eve, signaling a cautionary alert for certain high-frequency radio users.
The NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) unveiled an image of this solar phenomenon on Sunday evening, depicting a luminous expanse on the sun, characteristic of a solar flare.
Described by the SWPC as a surge of energy from the sun that typically lasts from minutes to hours, this particular event, classified as an X5 flare, reached its peak a little before 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Energy Release Escalation
NASA categorizes solar flares analogous to earthquake scales, ranging from B-class to C-class, M-class, and finally, X-class. Each letter increment signifies a tenfold escalation in energy release, with the exception of X-class flares, which can surpass the value of 9. The most potent flare on record, an X45, occurred in 2003.
While B- and C-class flares remain imperceptible on Earth, M-class flares might induce transient radio disturbances at the poles and minor radiation storms hazardous to astronauts. However, X-class flares like the recent X5 can yield more conspicuous effects, such as radiation storms impacting satellites and imparting minor radiation doses to air travelers near polar regions. Moreover, they could potentially trigger global transmission disruptions and widespread blackouts.
Despite being smaller than the 2003 flare, Sunday’s X5 was the most potent since the X8.2 recorded in September 2017, surpassing the X2.8 event from December 14 in the same solar region.
Impact on Earth
The SWPC cautioned high-frequency radio users about possible signal degradation or loss due to the solar flare’s impact on the sunlit side of Earth. However, for the general populace, concerns were allayed, with the chance of witnessing auroras resulting from a detected coronal mass ejection (CME) being relatively slim.
SWPC’s forecast indicated limited states, predominantly in Alaska and Canada, having a high probability of experiencing the northern lights, while a handful of states like Washington, Idaho, and Maine held faint chances.
While a minor geomagnetic storm watch was issued for Tuesday, the likelihood of aurora sightings seemed even lower based on SWPC’s projections.
Anticipated to become more frequent in 2024, solar activities and CMEs are attributed to the sun’s progression through Solar Cycle 25, 11-year intervals characterized by magnetic pole reversals inducing space weather phenomena.
Despite potential impacts on navigation, communication, and radio signals, Dr. Delores Knipp from the University of Colorado Boulder reassured the public about existing safeguards in electrical grids and communication systems to mitigate adverse effects from solar storms. She stressed that such events, like Sunday’s solar flare, are routine and not cause for undue concern.
NASA’s Clarification
NASA clarified that catastrophic scenarios of a ‘killer solar flare‘ annihilating Earth are implausible. Additionally, with solar cycles recurring every 11 years, most individuals have already experienced a solar maximum without noticing.
A silver lining to this solar cycle is the forthcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, set to coincide near the cycle’s peak, promising an enthralling spectacle for sky gazers, as outlined by NOAA.
