Solar flares: What are they and how do they affect Earth?
- Media Manager
- Jul 5, 2022
- 1 min read
Space.com
Written By: Daisy Dobrijevic
Published: July 6th, 2022
Solar activity is currently increasing and with it comes more solar flares.
Solar flares are large explosions from the surface of the sun that emit intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. The intensity of the explosion determines what classification the flare belongs to. The most powerful are X-class flares, followed by M-, C- and B-class; A-class flares are the smallest.
These flares can be visible as bright flashes in a particular region of the sun and can last several minutes, according to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
Solar flares occur when magnetic energy builds up in the solar atmosphere and is released suddenly. These outbursts are intrinsically linked to the solar cycle — an approximately 11-year cycle of solar activity driven by the sun's magnetic field.
