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NASA Captures the Sun Releasing X-Class Solar Flare

Written by Reananda Hidayat Permono Completed Master of Science - MS, Petroleum Geology from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

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On Friday, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured views of the sun releasing a strong X2.2 solar flare toward dark space.

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For your information, X-class flares are the strongest ones the sun could deliver.

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On Sunday, NASA shared a time-lapse video of the sun’s week where it released 28 coronal mass ejections, 36 notable solar flares, and no geomagnetic storms.

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NASA explained that solar eruptions and flares can impact radio communications, navigation signals, and electric power grids.

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Those bursts of energy activities also give risks to astronauts and spacecraft. A solar flare is categorized into classes.

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X-class flares are the most powerful kind of flare, meanwhile, A-class flares are weak.

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There’s a lot of room with the X-class; higher numbers indicate a higher intensity.

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Scientists recorded an X28 in 2003, so, this month’s X2.2 might look less threatening.

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However, it’s still an impressive outburst and can significantly impact various things on Earth, including radio communications and auroras.

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The rare solar flare also triggered a shockwave across the sun’s surface, some scientists call it a “solar tsunami.”

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According to NASA, it’s “a giant wave of hot plasma” that can travel up to 901,000 km/h (560,000 mph) and reach heights of 100,000 km (62,150 miles).

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We can expect more surprises from the sun and NASA’s SDO will be there to capture the fun.

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