Space weather observers observed a series of powerful solar flares between Saturday (Aug. 27) and Monday (Aug. 29), the strongest of which was registered as an M8 flare and occurred at 7:07 a.m. Monday. EDT (1207 GMT). ), reports SpaceWeather.com (opens in new tab). Class M flares are usually described as “moderate” but can still “cause brief power outages at the poles and small radiation storms that may endanger astronauts.” according to NASA (opens in a new tab). Scientists classify solar flares into five letter categories, of which M is the fourth strongest. In each category, higher numbers represent longer outbreaks. High solar activity was also observed in the previous days. On Saturday, the sun fired one Class M4 flare from sunspot AR3088 (opens in a new tab). “The glancing blow could trigger G1-class geomagnetic storms beginning on the 28th and extending through August 29,” SpaceWeather reported. On Sunday (August 28) the same sunspot fired an M6.7 class flare (opens in new tab), causing radio interruptions throughout much of North America (opens in new tab), the site said. In response to Saturday’s explosion, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued M1 (minor) geomagnetic storm warning (opens in new tab) for Monday. This level of storm could have minor effects on satellite operations, power grids and animal migration patterns.
Sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere have been treated to brilliant auroras thanks to the resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. The auroras were visible as far south Scotland (opens in a new tab), Alberta (opens in a new tab) and Montana (opens in new tab), according to skywatchers on Twitter. An amazing #northernlights show last night over Calgary. #Aurora #Auroraborealis pic.twitter.com/fqDJpSVzF6 August 29, 2022 See more Most geomagnetic storms resulting from solar flares have minimal effects on Earth or spacecraft, although some severe storms can damage electrical infrastructure or disrupt radio communications. This year, the sun has been particularly active, with numerous large solar flares and coronal mass ejections wreaking havoc on some satellites and creation amazing aurora displays. This increased activity could indicate that the sun is beginning to “wake up” from a more restful phase of its regular 11-year cycle of activity. Some meteorologists have suggested that the upcoming solar cycle could be among them most powerful in recorded historyalthough our ability to predict the behavior of the sun remains limited. Follow Brett on Twitter at @brettingley (opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or enabled Facebook (opens in a new tab).