This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22525233
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Monster radiation burst from Sun | Monster radiation burst from Sun |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Sun has unleashed its most powerful eruption of 2013 so far. | The Sun has unleashed its most powerful eruption of 2013 so far. |
| The solar flare - a sudden release of radiation - peaked at 1705 BST on Monday, and was associated with a huge eruption of matter. | The solar flare - a sudden release of radiation - peaked at 1705 BST on Monday, and was associated with a huge eruption of matter. |
| When these eruptions reach Earth, they can interfere with electronic systems in satellites and those on the ground. | When these eruptions reach Earth, they can interfere with electronic systems in satellites and those on the ground. |
| Nasa said this solar explosion - known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) - was not directed at Earth, but it could pass several US spacecraft. | Nasa said this solar explosion - known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) - was not directed at Earth, but it could pass several US spacecraft. |
| The event on Monday was classified as an "X-class" flare - the most intense type - with a designation of X2.8 (higher numbers denote a stronger flare). It surpassed an X1.7-class flare that occurred 14 hours earlier. | The event on Monday was classified as an "X-class" flare - the most intense type - with a designation of X2.8 (higher numbers denote a stronger flare). It surpassed an X1.7-class flare that occurred 14 hours earlier. |
| They are the first X-class events to occur this year. | They are the first X-class events to occur this year. |
| When intense enough, a flare can disturb the Earth's atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. | When intense enough, a flare can disturb the Earth's atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. |
| This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing - the radio blackout associated with this flare has since subsided. | This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing - the radio blackout associated with this flare has since subsided. |
| CMEs can be even more disruptive because they can send billions of tonnes of solar particles into space. In those cases when very strong eruptions do reach Earth, the charged matter can blow out transformers in power grids. | CMEs can be even more disruptive because they can send billions of tonnes of solar particles into space. In those cases when very strong eruptions do reach Earth, the charged matter can blow out transformers in power grids. |
| The so-called Carrington Event of 1-2 September 1859 shorted telegraph wires, starting fires in North America and Europe, and caused bright aurorae (northern and southern lights) to be seen in Cuba and Hawaii. | |
| The CME associated with this flare may pass the Stereo-B and Spitzer spacecraft. The operators of those science missions can choose to put their spacecraft into a "safe mode" to protect the electronics in onboard instruments from being tripped. | The CME associated with this flare may pass the Stereo-B and Spitzer spacecraft. The operators of those science missions can choose to put their spacecraft into a "safe mode" to protect the electronics in onboard instruments from being tripped. |
| Increased numbers of flares are expected at the moment because the Sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is approaching a "high" of activity - known as a solar maximum. |