The most intense since 2017 and heading towards Earth

On December 14 at 17:02 UTC, The Sun released an X2.8 flare, the strongest class on the scale, which also turned out to be the strongest flare recorded since 2017.

The flare generated a massive pulse of high-energy radiation that was captured on video by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft.

The most powerful flares are often accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which send huge clouds of solar plasma into space at millions of kilometers per hour.

It appears that a coronal ejection was associated with this flare, likely with an “Earth-directed component,” SpaceWeather.com reported. “The US Air Force has reported a type II solar radio burst, which typically comes from the leading edge of the radio burst. Depending on the drift velocity of the radio burst, the velocity of the resulting coronal ejection could exceed 2,100 kilometers per second.”

Coronal explosions that hit Earth can generate geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt power grids and other infrastructure. These storms can also supercharge the aurora borealis, making this celestial light appear more intense and visible over larger areas.

The Earth’s atmosphere prevents harmful radiation from solar flares from reaching Earth. But this radiation can still affect signals sent by GPS and communications satellites and cause power outages. The Sun has become more active in recent months, and its activity is expected to continue growing until 2024, the maximum of the current solar cycle of 11 years.