Latest news with #Earth-facing
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Sun emits strongest solar flare of the year, causing radio blackouts and communication disruptions, reports NASA
In a burst of solar activity, NASA has said that sunspot region 4114 has unleashed the most powerful solar flare of 2025 so far. Classified as an X1.2-class flare , the most intense category, the eruption occurred on 17 June and triggered widespread shortwave radio blackouts , especially over the Pacific Ocean, including areas such as Hawaii. The flare disrupted frequencies below 25 MHz, affecting communication for aviators and ham radio operators. Although it was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), which typically intensifies geomagnetic storms, the flare's sheer intensity was enough to disturb the Earth's ionosphere. Scientists remain on high alert as the active sunspot continues to face Earth. What is an X-class solar flare detected by NASA Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the Sun, and X-class flares are the strongest among them. An X1.2 flare, like the one recorded, is over ten times more intense than an M1-class flare. These events can cause temporary blackouts in the Earth's upper atmosphere by ionising it, disrupting radio signals and communication technologies. What it means for Earth's communications systems by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spiele kostenlos in deinem Browser - Kein Download oder Installation erforderlich! Taonga Farm Jetzt spielen Undo While this flare did not pose a direct threat to life on Earth, it serves as a strong reminder of the Sun's volatile nature. Disruptions to communication, navigation systems, and satellites are possible with flares of this strength, especially if a CME is involved in future eruptions. Space weather experts continue to monitor the Sun's activity in real time to prepare for any further disruptions. No CME, but still troubling radio systems and other communications Unlike some previous eruptions, this solar flare was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection or CME. CMEs are plasma clouds that can cause geomagnetic storms and auroras when they strike Earth's magnetic field. Despite this, the flare was intense enough to disturb communications and is being closely monitored for any follow-up activity. Region 4114: a solar flare factory Sunspot region 4114 has been unusually active. According to NOAA and it has fired multiple M-class flares in recent days. While its magnetic field has slightly weakened, it still has the potential to emit more M-class or even X-class flares shortly. The sunspot remains Earth-facing, keeping forecasters and scientists alert. A sign of the solar maximum This event aligns with the current phase of the Sun's 11-year solar cycle, known as the solar maximum. During this period, sunspot activity increases dramatically, making powerful flares like these more likely. NASA and NOAA suggest that this phase began in late 2024 and could peak in 2025.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
Powerful solar flare triggers radio blackouts across North America, solar ejection may impact Earth on June 18
Live Events — NASASun (@NASASun) (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A powerful M-class solar flare erupted from the sun on June 15, triggering radio blackouts across North America. The flare, classified as an M8.46 event, occurred at 2:25 p.m. EDT (1825 GMT) and nearly reached X-class status, the highest category for solar eruption originated from an active, Earth-facing sunspot that has produced multiple M-class and C-class flares in the past 24 hours. The June 15 flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of solar plasma and magnetic read: Sun unleashes strongest flare of 2025, disrupts global ... Forecasts from indicate the CME is traveling with a trajectory that may deliver a glancing blow to Earth on June 18. If it connects, the event could result in minor geomagnetic disturbances , categorized as G1-class storms. These disturbances may lead to visible auroras as far south as northern Michigan and flare radiation travels at the speed of light, reaching Earth in just over eight minutes. When it arrives, it ionizes the upper atmosphere, specifically the thermosphere, disrupting shortwave radio communications on the sunlit side of the planet. During the M8.46 flare, North America was facing the sun, making it the primary zone for communications sunspot responsible for the June 15 flare remains highly active. It released another significant flare on June 16 at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), rated as an M6.4-class event. Forecasters are monitoring the region for additional solar activity as it remains in an Earth-facing flares are classified by intensity into five main categories: X, M, C, B, and A. X-class flares are the most powerful, while M-class flares are approximately ten times weaker. The June 15 M8.46 event approached the threshold of X-class, placing it among the stronger flares observed in recent read: NASA sounds alarm: Solar flare hits Earth, more expected Each class contains a numerical scale to denote its strength. C-class, B-class, and A-class flares are typically weaker, with A-class events producing little to no impact on potential for more CMEs and associated geomagnetic storms remains, especially as solar activity intensifies near the solar maximum. Continued monitoring is in place for both aviation and communications sectors.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Powerful solar flare triggers radio blackouts across North America, solar ejection may impact Earth on June 18
Major solar flare causes shortwave radio disruptions across North America A powerful M-class solar flare erupted from the sun on June 15, triggering radio blackouts across North America. The flare, classified as an M8.46 event, occurred at 2:25 p.m. EDT (1825 GMT) and nearly reached X-class status, the highest category for solar flares. The eruption originated from an active, Earth-facing sunspot that has produced multiple M-class and C-class flares in the past 24 hours. The June 15 flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of solar plasma and magnetic field. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Also read: Sun unleashes strongest flare of 2025, disrupts global ... Forecasts from indicate the CME is traveling with a trajectory that may deliver a glancing blow to Earth on June 18. If it connects, the event could result in minor geomagnetic disturbances , categorized as G1-class storms. These disturbances may lead to visible auroras as far south as northern Michigan and Maine. Live Events — NASASun (@NASASun) Solar flare radiation travels at the speed of light, reaching Earth in just over eight minutes. When it arrives, it ionizes the upper atmosphere, specifically the thermosphere, disrupting shortwave radio communications on the sunlit side of the planet. During the M8.46 flare, North America was facing the sun, making it the primary zone for communications interference. Additional solar flares and CME threats expected this week The sunspot responsible for the June 15 flare remains highly active. It released another significant flare on June 16 at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), rated as an M6.4-class event. Forecasters are monitoring the region for additional solar activity as it remains in an Earth-facing position. Solar flares are classified by intensity into five main categories: X, M, C, B, and A. X-class flares are the most powerful, while M-class flares are approximately ten times weaker. The June 15 M8.46 event approached the threshold of X-class, placing it among the stronger flares observed in recent months. Also read: NASA sounds alarm: Solar flare hits Earth, more expected Each class contains a numerical scale to denote its strength. C-class, B-class, and A-class flares are typically weaker, with A-class events producing little to no impact on Earth. The potential for more CMEs and associated geomagnetic storms remains, especially as solar activity intensifies near the solar maximum. Continued monitoring is in place for both aviation and communications sectors.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern lights may be visible in these 18 US states tonight and over the weekend
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The northern lights could put on a show tonight and through the weekend as ongoing geomagnetic storm conditions driven by turbulent space weather may push aurora farther south than usual. Earth is currently reverberating from a solar storm impact that occurred overnight on June 12-13, during which moderate G2 geomagnetic storm levels were reached. A co-rotating interaction region (CIR) — a turbulent region in the solar wind in which fast-moving streams collide with slower wind ahead of them — is also on the way, with the effects expected around June 14. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm watch for June 14 due to the incoming solar wind from a large Earth-facing coronal hole. The U.K. Met Office echoes this forecast, predicting moderate (G2) geomagnetic storms on June 13-14, with activity expected to decline to unsettled levels by June 15-16. A G2 storm can shift the aurora oval — the ring-shaped zone where auroras typically form — farther south, allowing skywatchers across parts of the northern U.S. a chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive lights, weather and dark skies permitting. Geomagnetic storms are ranked using a G-scale, which ranges from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). Below, we have listed 18 states that appear either fully or in part above the possible view line for auroras tonight, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. They're ordered from most likely to least likely based on their proximity to the center of the auroral oval and how much of each state is within or near the view line. Keep in mind, auroras are fickle. Sometimes they show up much farther south than expected and other times they don't appear at all. Many conditions have to align for the perfect display. Alaska Montana North Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan South Dakota Maine Vermont New Hampshire Idaho Washington Oregon New York Massachusetts Connecticut Rhode Island Wyoming Viewing conditions also depend on more than just geomagnetic activity. Cloud cover, light pollution, and the brief summer night can all affect visibility. If you find yourself in one of the 18 states listed above (or simply want to try your luck) head to a dark, north-facing spot away from city lights. As we approach the summer solstice on June 20/21, nights are growing shorter, so your best window for viewing may be in the early morning hours, around 1 to 2 a.m. Interested in tracking space weather and knowing when and where to spot auroras? Download a space weather app that provides forecasts based on your location. One option I use is "My Aurora Forecast & Alerts," available for both iOS and Android. However, any similar app should work well. I also use the "Space Weather Live" app, which is available on iOS and Android, to get a deeper understanding of whether the current space weather conditions are favorable for aurora sightings. Editor's note: If you snap a great picture of the northern or southern lights and would like to share it with readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
News18
01-06-2025
- Science
- News18
Powerful Solar Flare Sparks Geomagnetic Storms, Auroras Likely In Southern Skies
Positioned near the centre of the Earth-facing solar disc, this flare was accompanied by a major, asymmetrical full halo coronal mass ejection (CME). Earth was hit by a powerful geomagnetic storm on Sunday, June 1, with a speed of upwards of 1000 km/sec later. According to Space Weather Live, sunspot region 4100 produced a beautiful, long-duration M8.2-class solar flare, which peaked at 05:35 IST today (00:05 UTC). Located near the center of the Earth-facing solar disk, this flare is particularly significant. The eruption is associated with a Type II radio emission, indicating a coronal mass ejection (CME) was launched and current coronagraph imagery suggests it likely has an Earth-directed component. Positioned near the centre of the Earth-facing solar disc, this flare was accompanied by a major, asymmetrical full halo coronal mass ejection (CME), clearly visible in SOHO/LASCO imagery. This CME is all but certain to have an Earth-directed component, setting the stage for possible space weather impacts, including auroras, radio disturbances, and power grid fluctuations in higher latitudes. According to Space Weather Live, a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm was observed today, 1 June 2025, as the Kp index reached Level 5 — the threshold for a G1 storm — at 09:24 UTC, which is 14:54 IST. advetisement There is a slight possibility of auroral activity becoming visible in mid-latitude regions of the Southern Hemisphere, particularly around Hobart, Australia, and Invercargill, New Zealand, reported Space Live Weather. This potential is driven by highly active solar wind conditions, with the solar wind speed currently measured at an exceptionally high 1,023 km/sec. Additionally, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength is elevated at 25.55 nT. However, the IMF is currently pointing northward (6.11 nT), which typically reduces the chance of strong geomagnetic activity since a southward IMF is more favourable for coupling with Earth's magnetic field. While auroral visibility remains limited for now, even a brief southward shift in the IMF could quickly increase activity, making it worth monitoring if you're located in or near these regions. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 01, 2025, 16:08 IST
