The most powerful solar flare in the last 6 years: strong magnetic storms are expected on Earth

The largest solar flare in six years occurred on December 14. It has already caused problems with radio communication with airplanes.

The strength of the flare was X2.8 (X-class flares are the strongest possible and last occurred in 2017). We should expect very strong magnetic storms that affect weather-dependent people, Space.com writes.

Read also: Why do bad weather and magnetic storms give you a headache: how meteorology affects humans

Solar flares are divided into five classes depending on the power of X-rays: the smallest flares are class A, followed by B, C, M, and X. Class A0.0 is equal to the energy of radiation orbiting the Earth, 10 nanowatts per square meter. Each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy production.

Powerful solar flares are often accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which send huge clouds of solar plasma flying into space at millions of miles per hour.

Typically, giant explosions on the Sun send solar plasma into space, and clouds of these charged particles can cause geomagnetic storms when they reach Earth.

Schedule of magnetic storms for December 2023

The Earth's atmosphere prevents harmful radiation from solar flares from reaching the ground. But this radiation can still affect our lives: for example, by affecting the signals sent by GPS and communication satellites and causing radio communications to stop.

As a reminder, preliminary forecasts indicate that powerful magnetic storms are expected on Earth from December 15 to 19 

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