Massive Solar Flare Erupts, Potentially Triggering a Solar Storm

Due to the Sun's occasional severe solar storms, which have the potential to disrupt all communication on Earth, there has been a resurgence of interest in its solar cycles. Today's solar flare pounded our world, crashing into the magnetic field of the earth.

According to Spaceweather.com, the big sunspot AR3363 just produced a significant solar flare, a long-duration M6-class event, during the early hours of July 18th. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast near the sun's southwestern limb.

Energetic protons accelerated by the flare have reached Earth and are now peppering the top of our planet's atmosphere. This is called a "radiation storm." According to data from NOAA's GOES-16 satellite, it is a category S2 event.

The website, which tracks solar activity, reported that, although the explosion was not X-class, it was more powerful than many X-flares would be. Why? Because it lasted so long. The flare's X-ray output was above M5 for more than an hour and above M1 for nearly 4 hours. It had plenty of time to lift a substantial CME out of the sun's atmosphere.

Although the CME is not heading directly for Earth, it appears to have an Earth-directed component. A NASA model suggests it could deliver an effective glancing blow as early as July 20th. NOAA is doing its own modelling, and results should be available soon.