The largest solar flare in more than 12 years , and the eighth since modern records began, has been captured in great detail by researchers at the University of Sheffield.
The massive burst of radiation occurred unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 6, 2017. The flare was one of three flares in Category X (the largest type of flare) observed over a 48-hour period.
Without danger to the Earth?
The images correspond to the 1-meter Swedish solar telescope managed by the Institute of Solar Physics (ISP) of the University of Stockholm at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. The strongest occurred at 13:00 GMT and reached X9.3, as you can see in the following video:
These powerful events, which can push plasma away from the solar surface at speeds of up to 2,000 kilometers per second in phenomena known as coronal mass ejections, can lead to disturbances in the operation of satellites and GPS signals.
The solar storm of 1859 , also known as the Carrington event by the English astronomer Richard Carrington, who first observed it, is considered the most powerful solar storm recorded in history. The peak of intensity was on September 1 and 2, and caused the failure of telegraph systems throughout Europe and North America. A solar storm of this magnitude would have serious consequences for today’s civilization.