Sun Releases Its Largest X-Class Flare of the Current Solar Cycle; Huge Emissions Unleashed From Super-Active Monster Sunspot

Last May 10, a widespread display of aurora borealis lit up the skies worldwide due to strong solar flares. The event continued until the weekend as charged particles were emitted from a massive sunspot. According to experts, this cosmic activity is not yet done as the Sun continues to get turbulent.

Massive X8.7 Solar Flare

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, our host star has just released the strongest solar of its current solar cycle. It falls under category X8.7, making it stronger than the X2.2 solar flare that erupted last week. It is also considered the largest X-class solar flare emitted by the Sun in its current solar cycle.

Last week's X2.2 solar flare and today's X8.7 solar flare were caused by an active sunspot region, which is about 15 times the size of the Earth. Known as Sunspot AR 3664, this group has released numerous X-class solar flares over the past several days, although it may soon be entirely out of Earth's view.

NOAA noted that the latest solar flare is unlikely to cause geomagnetic storms and that, despite its monstrous size, it is not expected to cause the aurora to appear far farther south.

This is because the sunspot group responsible for this burst is found at the very edge of the visible region of the Sun. Still, high-frequency radio blackouts can be expected here on Earth. If the solar flares result in any coronal mass ejections (CMEs), they are not likely to directly impact our planet, as was the case last weekend.

As the Sunspot AR 3664 rotates over the western region of the Sun, it enters a location that magnetically joins it to Earth. Charged particles from AR 3664 travel on this superfast space freeway known as the Parker Spiral in a high-speed movement.

Reaching the Solar Maximum

Solar flares refer to the powerful emission of electromagnetic radiation from magnetic disturbances to the Sun. This cosmic event happens when magnetic field lines in the atmosphere of the Sun tangle and snap, unleashing large amounts of excess energy.

Solar flares can also be responsible for launching CMEs outward into space, hitting anything in their path. CMEs that hit our planet trigger geomagnetic storms, which can result in Aurora displays, power grid interference, and satellite malfunctions.

All of these extreme solar activities-sunspots, solar flares, and CMEs-become more frequent during the solar maximum, or the peak of the Sun's activity cycle that lasts for 11 years. Our host star is in solar cycle 25, the current solar cycle that began in 2019. Astronomers suspect that the Sun may soon enter its solar maximum stage if it hasn't already. Only after the end of the solar maximum will the solar activity die down again.

Since September 2017, the sun has not released any solar flares stronger than X8.7. During this year, X11.8 and X13.3 solar flares burst just a few days apart.