Sun unleashes FOUR powerful solar flares towards Earth – as scientists warn they could wreak havoc on radios and GPS satellites
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The sun has unleashed four powerful solar flares towards Earth that could wreak havoc on radios and GPS satellites.
The stellar bombardment began on February 1 at 12:33 GMT as the sun fired off a class X1.0 flare.
Class–X flares are the most powerful blasts our sun is capable of, and are at least 10 times more potent than the next class down, known as 'M' flares.
This was followed 11 hours later, at 23:37 GMT, by a massive X8.1 flare – the largest since October 2024, and the 19th–strongest ever recorded.
The sun continued to slam the Earth with two more X–class flares on February 2 – an X2.8 flare at 00:36 GMT and an X1.6 flare at 08:14 GMT.
Dr Ryan French, a solar scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and author of 'Space Hazards', told the Daily Mail: 'As light from solar flares hits our atmosphere, they cause a 'radio blackout' on the Sun–lit side of Earth.
'The strong flares we've experienced this week have caused radio blackouts, the highest being a "strong" event.'
Now, experts warn the worst could be yet to come, with a one in three chance of more X–class flares throughout the coming week.
The sun has launched four massive X–class solar flares (pictured), the largest class our sun is capable of, as experts warn that ongoing activity could wreak havoc on satellites and radios
When the radiation from these massive flares hits Earth, it can ionise the upper atmosphere and make it impossible for radio waves to get through
When the energy from a solar flare hits Earth's upper atmosphere, it ionises gases in the more dense regions, which blocks radio signals for around an hour or more.
Juh–Pekka Luntama, head of space weather at the European Space Agency (ESA), told the Daily Mail: 'There was no impact on the satellites themselves or the ground–based communication networks, but the propagation of radio signals through the upper atmosphere was disturbed.
'This means that satellite navigation, satellite communication and high frequency (HF) radio communication were disturbed.'
Solar flares, however, are not to be mistaken for the enormous eruptions of charged particles known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
When the material from a CME hits the Earth's atmosphere, the material is funnelled towards the poles by the magnetic field, where it causes the glow of the aurora.
This is why the Northern Lights can be seen at lower latitudes when the solar storms hit Earth.
These charged particles also cause the upper layers of the atmosphere to expand outwards slightly, engulfing some satellites in low–earth orbit.
Over time, the additional drag caused by the atmosphere means satellites have to burn their limited fuel to avoid falling to Earth, which reduces their lifespan.
The largest flare was an X8.1, making it the 19th biggest solar flare ever recorded and the largest to hit Earth since October 2024
A CME hitting Earth could, theoretically, cause enough damage to Earth's satellite networks that it would have a catastrophic effect on global communications and navigation systems.
CMEs are not always caused by or followed by solar flares, and only the recent X8.1 flare was associated with such an eruption.
Luckily, this eruption appears to be directed out of the sun's northeast, and Earth should only receive a glancing blow in the early morning of February 5.
A spokesperson for the Met Office told the Daily Mail: 'There's not much expected in the way of impacts at present as there's not a significant Earth–directed element at present.
'No damage to satellite or communications is likely according to the current forecast, though we'll continue to monitor the region in the coming days for anything else released from the Sun.'
However, the Met Office notes that this CME could lead to some enhanced aurora activity, with lights visible over parts of Scotland where there are clear skies.
Solar flares are the explosive release of magnetic energy from the swirling tangle of magnetic fields in the sun's atmosphere.
These often form around cool, dark regions known as sunspots, where the magnetic fields are their strongest.
The region responsible for these solar flares (pictured) is still active and will be for the next week. Experts say there is a one in three chance of Earth being hit with another X–class flare in that time
Around these 'active regions', magnetic field lines connect, twist, and stretch until they snap like enormous elastic bands, flinging high–energy particles and light into space.
The active region associated with the latest flurry of flares, dubbed RGN 4366, has now morphed into an enormous, complex cluster of sunspots.
This region is at the very edge of the sun and will be facing towards Earth for at least the rest of the week.
According to Mr Luntama, ESA's models suggest there is a 30 per cent chance of this region producing another X–class solar flare.
Mr Luntama says that this is 'the highest X–class flare forecast that I have seen during this solar cycle'.
That means there is a strong chance of disturbances to radios and GPS satellites in the coming week, as well as good odds of more aurora activity.
Today, this region has already produced another X1.5 flare at 14:08 GMT, which likely caused some disturbance to satellite navigation and communication.
However, scientists do not yet have any data to confirm whether this flare was accompanied by a CME.
SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES
Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth:
- Solar flares: A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth.
- Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's): Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth.
- High-speed solar wind streams: These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth.
- Solar energetic particles: High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact.
While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions.
However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks.
This photo shows the sun's coronal holes in an x-ray image. The outer solar atmosphere, the corona, is structured by strong magnetic fields, which when closed can cause the atmosphere to suddenly and violently release bubbles or tongues of gas and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections
The damage caused by solar storms
Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost.
The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field.
Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies.
When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora.
They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems.
A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers.
This could shut off businesses and homes around the world.
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