Solar flare
Context: NASA reported a strong X1.9-class solar flare erupting from the Sun causing a major radio blackout over Australia and raising concerns about further space-weather disturbances.
- The flare coincides with the emergence of a massive sunspot (AR 4294–96) over 10 times the size of Earth.
About Solar Flares:
What it is?
- A solar flare is a sudden, intense explosion of energy on the Sun caused by the rapid release of magnetic energy stored in twisted magnetic field lines near sunspots.
- It emits radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum—from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.
How It Forms?
- Twisted magnetic fields: Strong magnetic fields around sunspots become twisted and stressed by solar rotation and plasma flows, building up large amounts of magnetic tension and stored energy.
- Magnetic reconnection: When these stressed magnetic field lines suddenly snap and reconnect, the stored magnetic energy is explosively released, creating an intense flare.
- Heating and particle ejection: This energy release heats solar plasma to several million degrees and accelerates photons and charged particles outward at high speeds.
- Link with CMEs: A flare may erupt alone or alongside a coronal mass ejection (CME), which ejects massive clouds of solar plasma capable of disturbing Earth’s magnetic field.
Key Features:
- X-ray classification: Solar flares are ranked from A to X based on peak X-ray brightness, with each letter step representing a tenfold increase in intensity measured by space-based detectors.
- X-class events: X-class flares are the strongest type and can cause global radio blackouts, disrupt navigation systems, and expose satellites to damaging levels of radiation.
- Multi-wavelength radiation: Flares emit radiation across radio, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma-ray bands, heating solar material almost instantly and affecting space weather conditions.
- Sunspot connection: They commonly arise in large, magnetically complex sunspots where interacting magnetic fields make eruptions more frequent and more powerful.