A strong flare occurred on the Sun on December 31

The outbreak peaked at 16:51 Moscow time. Experts assigned it a score of M7.1. In addition, the star has produced eight conventional class C flares since midnight.

The last time M class flares occurred on the Sun was almost three days ago. In particular, on the morning of December 29, three M-class events were recorded, the most powerful of which received a score of M4.2.

It is expected that they, together with the coronal hole currently active on the Sun, can cause magnetic storms and auroras on New Year’s Eve.

Solar flares, depending on the power of X-ray radiation, are divided into five classes: A, B, C, M and X. They can cause magnetic storms on Earth. Severe storms cause disruptions to shortwave communications and navigation systems, as well as voltage failures in industrial networks. There is no clear answer yet as to whether magnetic storms affect people’s health.

source: RIA Novosti Crimea