Current:Home > BackSolar flares reported during total eclipse as sun nears solar maximum. What are they?-InfoLens
Solar flares reported during total eclipse as sun nears solar maximum. What are they?
View Date:2024-12-23 15:38:30
Earthlings have reported spotting solar flares during Monday's total eclipse.
The sun on Monday was expected to be at the height of its activity during its 11 year solar cycle also known as its "solar maximum." During this moment, the sun emits more solar flares and coronal mass ejections, massive bubbles of plasma threaded by rejected magnetic field lines.
Weather photographer Jack White shared photos that he said showed two solar flares right as the eclipse approached totality.
A solar flare on New Year's Eve, rated as an X-5, was the largest detected since the 2017 eclipse, when a X8.2 flare X8.2 flare occurred, according to NOAA.
Solar flares are only expected to become more common by 2025 as the sun continues to reach its solar maximum.
What are solar flares?
Considered our solar system's largest explosive events, solar flares occur when magnetic energy associated with sunspots is released, creating intense bursts of radiation.
Solar flares can last mere minutes, or can drag on for hours, depending on their intensity. NASA classifies solar flares based on their strength, with B-class being the smallest and X-class – which is what was detected last New Year's Eve – being the largest.
Weaker solar flares won't be noticeable here on Earth, but those with enough energy output to rank as an X-class have the potential to disrupt radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals. In extreme cases, such powerful flares even pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts, according to NASA.
How big are solar flares
Solar flares are giant explosions of electromagnetic radiation that emit light, energy and high-speed particles.
They are measured by their strength from the smallest B-class, followed by C, M and the largest X class. Each class represents a ten-fold increase in energy output making is M 10 times a C and 100 times a B.
The largest solar flare ever recorded occurred on Monday, April 2, 2001 at 4:41 p.m. EDT, according to NASA. The flare, detected by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite, surpassed the power of the one on March 6, 1989, which played a role in disrupting power grids in Canada.
How long do solar flares last
Solar flares can last a few minutes to several hours.
The outburst of electromagnetic energy travels are the meeting of light, according to the NOAA, making the event occurring at the same time the event is observed.
Monday's total eclipse began in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, before reaching Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT and ending in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT.
veryGood! (93)
Related
- Stock market today: Asian stocks decline as China stimulus plan disappoints markets
- Meghan Markle Returns for Second Beyoncé Concert Alongside Kerry Washington and Kelly Rowland
- Duke upsets No. 9 Clemson, earns first win vs. top-10 team in 34 years
- Beyond 'Margaritaville': Jimmy Buffett was great storyteller who touched me with his songs
- Oil Industry Asks Trump to Repeal Major Climate Policies
- Google turns 25, with an uncertain future as AI looms
- Gilmore Girls Secret: The Truth About Why Rory Didn’t Go to Harvard
- 'It was like I hit the lottery': Man charged with grand larceny after taking bag containing $5k
- Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
- Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet Make First Public Appearance Together at Beyoncé Concert
Ranking
- Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades
- Travis Barker Makes Cameo in Son Landon's TikTok After Rushing Home From Blink-182 Tour
- Brian Kelly calls LSU a 'total failure' after loss to Florida State. No argument here
- 3 lifelong Beatles fans seek to find missing Paul McCartney guitar and solve greatest mystery in rock and roll
- Homes of Chiefs’ quarterback Mahomes and tight end Kelce were broken into last month
- Jury selection begins in contempt case against ex-Trump White House official Peter Navarro
- YSE Beauty by Molly Sims Is Celebrity Skincare That’s Made for You
- Burning Man 2023: See photos of the burning of the Man at Nevada’s Black Rock Desert
Recommendation
-
Olivia Munn Says She “Barely Knew” John Mulaney When She Got Pregnant With Their Son
-
See Beyoncé's awe-inspiring Renaissance outfits, looks throughout career as tour nears end
-
Horoscopes Today, September 3, 2023
-
New York police agree to reform protest tactics in settlement over 2020 response
-
Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Reveals Name of Baby Daughter After Missing Film's LA Premiere for Her Birth
-
Heavy rain in areas of Spain leads to flooding, stranded motorists and two deaths: Reports
-
Colorado, Duke surge into the AP Top 25 after huge upsets; Florida State climbs into top five
-
Governor announces record investment to expand access to high-speed internet in Kentucky