Sun emits two strong solar flare: NASA

WASHINGTON: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed that the sun unleashed two powerful solar flares. The first solar flare occurred at 4 am PST on Thursday, followed by a second flare at 11:30 am PST on Friday.

Captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, these solar flares are described as “powerful bursts of energy” that have the capacity to interfere with “radio communication, navigation signals”, and even “pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts”.

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The first solar flare is classified as “X1.8”, while the second was rated as “X1.7”. The X-scale designation signifies the intensity of the flares, with higher numbers indicating greater strength.

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, a US government organisation, solar flares have the potential to disrupt high-frequency radio signals and may result in a complete loss of signal on a significant portion of “the sunlit side of Earth”. Despite these potential impacts, the public is reassured that there are no major negative side effects to be concerned about.