Massive Solar Flare Reported

A powerful solar flare (center right) right after eruption on 6:20 p.m. EDT (2220 GMT) on Sept. 6, 2011, as recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (Source: NASA/SDO/GSFC).

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an  X-class solar flare erupted at 6:12 p.m. EDT (2212 GMT) on September 6. The  solar flare, which belongs to the most powerful kind of, reached the peak eight minutes later. It was the second powerful solar flare in less than 24 hours. Solar flare strength is classified trough a three-tiered system, where X-class flares are the most powerful, followed by M and C-class. Whit respect to this scale, the Tuesday event was recorded as a X2.1, while the Monday one was a M5. Both events were observed by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which constantly perform multi-spectral recording of solar activities.

It is still too early to tell whether September 6 event produced produced a coronal mass ejection (CME) aimed at Earth. CMEs are massive clouds of solar plasma, that can cause disruptions in satellites and power grids, causing serious problems in telecommunication, navigation and power outage.

The Solar activity has increased over the last few months, after an unusual extended quiescent phase at the end of the 11-year activity cycle. Recent episodes include the X6.9 solar flare on August 9 and an X2.1 on February 15. The current cycle is expected to peak in

2013.

Andrea Gini

Andrea Gini is a scientific journalist and a professional of the space industry, working as a contractor on ISS Payload Safety. He is the Editor-in-chief of the Space Safety Magazine. Andrea is also Chairman of the Information and Communication Committee of the International Association for Advancement in Space Safety (IAASS), publisher of the Space Safety Magazine, and he is responsible for the communication strategy of the association, Andrea holds a BSc and an MSc in computer science from the University of Milano, a Master in scientific journalism from the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste and a MSc in Space Studies from the International Space University.

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