The phenomenon is on a scale not seen in years.
This Thursday, October 3, at precisely 2:18 p.m. Paris time, the largest solar flare since 2017 occurred. The images of this event were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a satellite that has been continuously scanning the Sun since now. 14 years old.
“In case you’re wondering, this is the most powerful solar flare of the current cycle. We haven’t had an X9 category flare since 2017.”enthuses the American space agency on its X account.
Here’s another view of today’s X9-class solar flare, the most powerful of this solar cycle, featuring two different wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light captured by NASA’ Solar Dynamics Observatory. ud83euddd0 pic.twitter.com/pgruMrNdjC
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) https://twitter.com/NASASun/status/1841917385642549569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Category X solar flares are indeed the most powerful. And the higher the number associated with this letter, the more intense it is.
The power of this solar flare is explained by changes in the activity of our star, which reaches its maximum every 11 years. This activity is currently in the ramp-up phase and could reach its peak next year.
Northern lights in sight?
Beyond the spectacular nature of this solar flare, it is also synonymous with a coronal mass ejection. And it is this coronal mass which is at the origin of the appearance of northern lights in our sky.
According to estimates from several specialists, the effects of these ejections should be particularly visible during the night from Saturday to Sunday. With the Northern Lights in our latitudes? Not sure. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the geomagnetic storm caused by the solar flare is “only” level 3 on a scale of up to 5. But still keep an eye on the sky until the end of this weekend.
