NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured another solar flare from the same sunspot that caused radio blackouts and stunning Aurora displays on Earth earlier this week.
The flare, classified as a medium-strength type M, was captured by the spacecraft on Thursday. The time is 1835 GMT.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory takes pictures of the sun with a resolution 10 times higher than that of high-definition television. The flare in the extreme ultraviolet part of the spectrum highlights its high temperature.
A huge X-class solar flare was thrown into space by a sunspot.
An M-class flare is a very powerful flare, a sudden release of radiation from the sun that travels at the speed of light. The Thursday flare was ranked as M8.6 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, meaning it was close to becoming the strongest type, X-class. As the flare hit Earth, it caused a moderate radio black out.
The X-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation that come from solar flares can disrupt radio communications. The ionosphere extends from 30 miles (48 kilometers) to 600 miles (965 km) above the planet's surface and includes the exosphere, thermoosphere and parts of the mesosphere.
Normally, high frequencies radio waves bounce off particles in the upper ionosphere back to Earth. Radio waves lose energy as they pass through the atmosphere when a solar flare hits the ionosphere.
According to the U.K.'s national weather forecaster the Met Office, a moderate power cut can disrupt communications for a long time. Aviation and marine communication is mostly affected by this type of black out. The U.S.GPS network can be disrupted by the ionization.
The sunspot, called 2975, has spurted out about 20 solar flares over the past week, including an X-class flare that blasted from the sun on Wednesday.
A few of these flares have been accompanied by coronal mass ejections. Flares travel much faster and reach Earth within a few days. The planet may have a magnetic field that may be disrupted by a CME.
Skywatchers in Canada, the US, and New Zealand reported seeing the Auroras on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to the Met Office, another X-class flare is due to hit Earth Saturday and will likely give the polar lights another boost. Earth's magnetic field is the weakest above the polar regions, which causes the charged solar plasma to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere. The charged solar particles interact with the particles in Earth's atmosphere. The farther from the poles you are, the better the Auroras can be seen.
If you can, head poleward and away from city lights over the weekend and check out our guide to photographing the Aurora.
The Met Office said that sunspot 2975 shows no signs of fading and that Aurora-viewing conditions are likely to remain solid next week.
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