The 몭are region can be seen on the right.

(NASA/SDO)
SPACE

The Sun Just Spat Out an X-Class Flare, The Most

Powerful Since 2017
MICHELLE STARR
6 JULY 2021

The Sun appears to be waking up from the quiet period of its 11-year cycle.

On 3 July 2021, at 14:29 UTC (10:29 EDT), our wild star spat out its 몭rst X-class
몭are of Solar Cycle 25; it was the most powerful 몭are we've seen since September
2017.

X-class 몭ares are among the most powerful solar eruptions from our host star,
with the mightiest on record being an astonishing X28 in November 2003.

This new 몭are wasn't quite so intense, clocking in at X1.5 - but, even so, it
This new 몭are wasn't quite so intense, clocking in at X1.5 - but, even so, it
produced a pulse of X-rays that hit the upper atmosphere and managed to cause
a shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.

The most recent X-class 몭are, prior to this new one, took place in September
2017, when the Sun erupted in an X8.2 몭are.

It's a sign, along with an increase in coronal loops of plasma arcing up from the
Sun's surface, that the cycle is de몭nitely becoming more active.

Although the Sun seems pretty consistent from our day-to-day perspective here
on Earth, a long-term view reveals dynamic activity. Part of that is the solar cycle. 

This is based on the Sun's magnetic 몭eld, which 몭ips around every 11 years, north
and south magnetic poles switching places. It's not known what drives these
cycles (recent research suggests it has to do with an 11.07-year planetary
alignment), but the poles switch when the magnetic 몭eld is at its weakest, also
known as the solar minimum.

Because the Sun's magnetic 몭eld controls its activity - sunspots (temporary
regions of strong magnetic 몭elds), solar 몭ares, and coronal mass ejections
(produced by magnetic 몭eld lines snapping and reconnecting) - this stage of the
cycle manifests as a period of minimal activity.

Once the poles have switched, the magnetic 몭eld strengthens, and solar activity
rises to a solar maximum before subsiding for the next polar switch. The most
recent solar minimum took place in December 2019, so, over the coming months
and years, we should expect to see the Sun getting more rowdy, peaking at
maximum in around July 2025.

Not all solar maxima are created equal, so it's not entirely clear whether we will
have a weak or powerful cycle. The average sunspot count for a maximum is 179;
have a weak or powerful cycle. The average sunspot count for a maximum is 179;
Solar Cycle 24 peaked at only 114. NASA and the NOAA have predicted Solar Cycle
25 will be similar, with a peak of 115 sunspots, but other scientists have predicted
quite the opposite - one of the strongest solar maxima ever recorded.

Interestingly, it took nearly twice as long for the 몭rst X-class 몭are to appear in
Solar Cycle 24. If that is signi몭cant, we won't know until after the solar maximum
for Solar Cycle 25.

So what does this mean for Earth? Well, if a solar 몭are or coronal mass ejection
blasts out in the direction of Earth, we can see a few e몭ects. There's no danger
from radiation to us humans scrambling about on the surface - our atmosphere
protects us.

But for more powerful 몭ares - like the one of 3 July - and weaker, M-class 몭ares,
we can see some disruptions to the atmospheric layers where communications
signals travel. This means radio communications and navigation systems can be
a몭ected. For the most extreme events, power grids may be knocked o몭ine,
although that happens incredibly rarely.

Material from the Sun can also trigger auroras here on Earth, as particles interact
with gases in our planet's atmosphere to produce the glowing phenomenon.

The sunspot that produced the 몭are, named 2838, developed overnight out of
nowhere, and was also responsible for an M2 몭are. It has since rotated away out
of view to the far side of the Sun, where it may still be active. We'll have to wait a
few days to see if it rotates back.

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