The lights are being generated by the largest geomagnetic storm Earth has seen in 20 years.
Over the weekend, a solar storm brought the northern lights to much of the U.S. Just days later, the sun let out an even bigger solar flare.CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The sun produced its biggest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, just days after severe solar storms pummeled Earth and created dazzling northern lights in unaccustomed places.It's the biggest flare of this 11-year solar cycle, which is approaching its peak, according to NOAA.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the bright flash of the X-ray flare. It was the strongest since 2005, rated on the scale for these flares as X8.7. Bryan Brasher at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado said it may turn out to have been even stronger when scientists gather data from other sources.
It follows nearly a week of flares and mass ejections of coronal plasma that threatened to disrupt power and communications on Earth and in orbit. An ejection associated with Tuesday's flare appeared to have been directed away from our planet, although analysis is ongoing, Brasher noted. NASA said the weekend geomagnetic storm caused one of its environmental satellites to rotate unexpectedly because of reduced altitude from the space weather, and go into a protective hibernation known as safe mode. And at the International Space Station, the seven astronauts were advised to stay in areas with strong radiation shielding. The crew was never in any danger, according to NASA.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Earth in the clear after Sun emits largest solar flare in nearly 10-year cycleThe Sun spit out the largest solar flare in more than a decade on Tuesday, though after a week of being pummeled by plasma, the Earth could be in the clear this time.
Read more »
Sun Fires 'Solar Storm Train' at Earth—Three Direct Hits for WeekendFive coronal mass ejections have been released from the sun in a short period of time, three of which are due to hit the Earth and cause geomagnetic storms.
Read more »
Here Comes the Sun Money: Biden Launches $7B 'Solar for All' on Earth DayThe 60 recipients will use the funding to help low- and moderate-income families overcome barriers to rooftop solar, expanding access to some 900,000 people.
Read more »
2 colossal solar flares explode from the sun and Earth is in the firing line (video)Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K.
Read more »
Two extremely powerful solar flares from Sun hit Earth’s Pacific regionAn Earth-directed solar flare can wreak havoc on power grids, telecommunication networks, and orbiting satellites
Read more »
Powerful Flares Just Erupted on The Sun, And Their Effects Are Lashing EarthThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »