[Regnum] On the morning of May 14, a flare of the penultimate power class (M) occurred on the Sun. This was reported on May 14 by the press service of the Institute of Applied Geophysics (Federal State Budgetary Institution "IPG").
“On May 14 at 06:25 Moscow time, an M5.3 flare lasting 37 minutes was recorded in the X-ray range in the sunspot group 4087 (N17E68),” the institute’s website said.
It is specified that at 10:45 Moscow time, a solar flare M1.2 was also recorded. Solar flares are divided into five classes: A, B, C, M and X, depending on their power. They can be accompanied by emissions of solar plasma, clouds of which, upon reaching the Earth, can lead to magnetic storms.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on the evening of April 5, a flare of the penultimate M class was also recorded on the Sun. Solar activity began at 22:46 Moscow time and continued for about half an hour.
Earlier, on March 28, a flare of the highest X-score occurred on the Sun. It was specified that before that, a flare of the highest level was registered on February 23. At the same time, according to scientists, part of the energy was most likely shielded by the solar disk, and therefore the actual score of the flare may be even higher.
| Dramatic photos courtesy of Skidmark: |
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The sun has unleashed the strongest solar flare of the year, triggering strong radio blackouts across the globe.
Just after 11:30 a.m. ET, a massive X2.7-class solar flare erupted from a newly emerging from a cold, dark region known as AR4087.
| That was yesterday — I completely missed it. |
These flares are born from sunspots — dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface where intense magnetic activity builds up.
When that magnetic energy is suddenly released, it can launch powerful bursts of plasma and radiation into space at the speed of light.
If directed at Earth, these high-energy waves can ionize the upper atmosphere, creating radiation storms that interfere with high-frequency radio signals and other technology-dependent systems.
Tuesday’s flare was rated an X2.7, placing it on the lower end of the most dangerous class of solar flares, but still powerful enough to impact large swaths of the planet.
Experts warn that more flares may be on the way as sunspot AR4087 rotates into direct alignment with Earth in the coming days, increasing the chances of further solar storms.
The flare sent X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation hurtling toward Earth at the speed of light, rapidly ionizing the upper atmosphere.
In other words, this sudden surge of radiation caused electrons to break away from molecules in the outermost layer of the atmosphere, making it electrically charged.
This charge disrupted high-frequency radio signals, leading to communication blackouts for some radio operators in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
These regions were the only ones affected because they were on the daylight side of Earth when the solar flare erupted.
Experts say we can expect more solar flares through next week as sunspot AR4087 rotates to directly face Earth.
'This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view,' aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina wrote in a post on X early Wednesday morning.
Following the X-class flare, the sunspot unleashed another burst of energy — an M5.3-class solar flare, he added.
'What does this [active region] have planned over the next days... we'll have to wait and see,' Ledvina wrote.