A solar flare is a super-powerful process of release of light, thermal and kinetic energy in all layers of the solar atmosphere. This process lasts several minutes and releases billions of megatons of energy in TNT equivalent. On Earth it can cause magnetic storms.

The most powerful flare since October 2017 was recorded on the Sun on February 7 at about 18:00. This phenomenon on a star in the solar system marked the end of a burst of activity that had been observed since February 4. During this time, the flux of radiation from the Sun increased 10 times. At the moment, the level of radio emission from the Sun is also increased.

Solar flares today 2018 magnetic storms: a magnetic storm will pass through the earth due to a solar flare

The laboratory explained that the flare occurred relatively far from the Sun-Earth line. In addition, it belongs to the so-called pulse type, which, according to theory, is not accompanied by emissions of solar plasma into interplanetary space. Such emissions are the main cause of strong magnetic storms. Therefore, this outbreak has little impact on Earth and people.

The increase in solar activity is not entirely normal. Since this happens against the background of the developing minimum of the solar cycle. It seems that the Sun is thus simply burning away the last remaining magnetic fields from the previous cycle.

Scientists also noted that flares are now observed at the equator of the Sun. At the moment, the disk of the Sun is indeed completely clear of spots, with the exception of the equator.

Solar flares today 2018 magnetic storms: how magnetic storms affect health and how to protect yourself from them

Scientists argue that such outbreaks create discomfort, destroying a person’s calm routine, and also leading to social upheaval.

Doctors say that some patients feel changes in advance. They complain of weakness, anxiety, irritability, absent-mindedness, headache and heart failure, as well as surges in blood pressure.

1. It is advisable to drink more water, eat more vegetables and fruits. Try not to eat fatty and heavy foods, as well as salty, smoked and spiced foods.

2. Refrain from drinking coffee and strong tea.

3. If possible, avoid severe stress and physical activity.

4. You need to move more and take walks in the fresh air.

Magnetic storms not only affect the condition of many people, but can even change the direction of animal migration.

The sun has not raged like this for twelve years. On Wednesday, September 6, due to the merger of several sunspots, the Sun released a huge amount of energy. This solar wind will be truly destructive.

Scientists from NASA recently predicted a significant decrease in solar activity, because there have been no serious magnetic storms over the past couple of months. Contrary to expectations, on September 6 a unique, but very real event happened - the Sun went beyond its “traditions”.

Communication problems

As you know, the solar wind itself does not cause problems, because it simply does not reach us, because the Earth has two magnetic poles that protect us from these bombardments. But every coin has a downside. In the case of storms, this side is obvious - the magnetic field is excited, and its waves negatively affect people and equipment.

Speaking of technology: all over the world on September 7 and 8, communication problems are or have been observed. This is quite obvious given the scale of the problem. Most of the explosions or flares on the Sun, fortunately, occurred in a place where it is more difficult for the solar wind to reach the Earth. If you draw an imaginary line from the Sun to the Earth, then the flash was directed slightly to the side. If it were aimed directly at Earth, the problems would be much more dangerous.

Magnetic storm on September 8 and 9

The solar wind travels to Earth for about two or three days. After the flare on September 6, the released energy will reach Earth on the 8th. Even though the flash was not direct, the magnetic storm from it will reach an incredible fourth level. If this outbreak had been directed at us, it would have exceeded the record fifth.

The storm will not only be unpleasant, but destructive. Not only weather-sensitive people, but everyone else can experience headaches. Chronic diseases will worsen in almost one hundred percent of people. According to the first estimates of scientists from America, on September 8 and 9 pharmacies will have huge profits, because the problem will be on a global scale.

On the 8th, the fourth level storm will subside in the evening, reducing its strength to the first level. September 9 will not be a time for relaxation. The Earth's magnetic field will still be excited. We are all lucky that a problem like this comes before the weekend, because in the middle of the week it would lead to serious troubles at work for those who give it their all.

Only common sense and caution will help you protect yourself from danger. Don't drink alcohol and don't overwork yourself at work. All you will need on September 8 and 9 is peace. Abstract yourself from negative thoughts. They should not torment you during these two days. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

08.09.2017 13:03

The sun does not always have the same activity indicator. This is evidenced not only by magnetic storms. On the...

Scientists are noticing alarming news: sunspots are increasingly disappearing on the Sun. This means that solar...

The Laboratory of X-ray Solar Astronomy of the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, citing data from the GOES-15 satellite, reports that a powerful flare of the highest class of activity was recorded at about 19:00 Moscow time.

According to scientists, the explosion on the Sun belongs to the highest class X with a score of X8.2. For comparison, on Wednesday, September 6, the most powerful flare in 12 years occurred with a magnitude of X9.3.

According to the outbreak activity index, the outbreak that occurred on Sunday reaches 9.8 out of 10.

The first two powerful flares occurred on September 6, while the second of them turned out to be the most powerful in the last 12 years. The next outbreak, which was assigned the highest activity class - X9.3, occurred on September 7, between 17.00 Moscow time and 18.00 Moscow time. Another one - on Friday, September 8, at 11.00 Moscow time.

These events on the same day caused disruptions in radio communications and GPS signal reception on the dayside of the Earth, which lasted about an hour.
Anna Aibasheva, head of the press service of VimpelCom PJSC (Beeline brand), said that the solar flare did not affect the communication system and everything is working as normal.

“The solar flare did not affect the operation of the Beeline network. Everything is working as normal,” the company representative assured.

The solar flare, which occurred on September 6, can cause failures in space technology and communication systems. This warning was made by the head of the Space Weather Center at the Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Sergei Gaidash.

Solar flares are catastrophic phenomena on the surface of the Sun caused by reconnection (reconnection) of magnetic field lines “frozen” into the solar plasma. At some point, the extremely twisted magnetic field lines break and reconnect in a new configuration, releasing a colossal amount of energy.

Depending on the intensity of solar flares, they are classified, and in this case we are talking about the most powerful flares - the X-class. The energy released during such flares is equivalent to the explosions of billions of megaton hydrogen bombs.

The most powerful solar flare recorded in the modern era occurred on November 4, 2003, and was classified as X28 (its consequences were not so catastrophic because the ejection was not directed directly at Earth).

Extreme solar flares can be accompanied by powerful ejections of material from the solar corona, so-called coronal mass ejections. For the Earth, it can pose a greater or lesser danger, depending on whether the emission is directed directly at our planet. In any case, the consequences of these emissions are felt after 1-3 days. We are talking about billions of tons of matter flying at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second.

This time, a huge mass of matter was just on its way to Earth. This was evidenced by data from solar coronagraphs observing the outer layers of the solar atmosphere.

As expected, the extreme activity of the Sun has already caused a strong magnetic storm on Earth, which was assigned the fourth level on a five-point scale.

“A cloud of plasma from the Sun arrived in the orbit of our planet at about 2 a.m. Moscow time, about 12 hours earlier than expected. This means that its speed was 1.5 times higher than expected, and the impact on the Earth was made with more power than expected.

The direction of the magnetic field of the ejection, based on the data from the ACE instrument, is unfavorable for our planet - the field is directed opposite to the earth’s and is currently “burning” the Earth’s field lines,” explained Sergei Bogachev, chief researcher at the Lebedev Physical Institute.
However, current events are far from the so-called Carrington event - the most powerful geomagnetic storm in the entire history of observations, which broke out in 1859. From August 28 to September 2, numerous spots and flares were observed on the Sun.

British astronomer Richard Carrington observed the most powerful of them on September 1, which probably caused a large coronal mass ejection that reached the Earth in a record time of 18 hours. Unfortunately, there were no modern instruments at that time, but the consequences were clear to everyone even without it - from intense auroras in the equator region to sparkling telegraph wires.

What is surprising is that current events are taking place against the background of a decrease in solar activity, when the natural 11-year cycle is completed, when the number of sunspots decreases. However, many scientists remind us that it is precisely during the period of decreased activity that the most powerful outbreaks often occur, breaking out as if at the end.

The space agency NASA reported a huge solar flare, the likes of which have not been recorded since 2006. The flare has already caused some interference on high-frequency radios and could lead to stunning auroras that could even be seen in the skies over London.

Last solar flare

An intense outbreak was recorded on the morning of September 6 and was part of a series of outbreaks. NASA's Solar Activity Observatory spotted the first flare at 5:10 a.m. Its intensity was estimated as X2.2, where X is the mark for the most powerful explosive processes in the solar atmosphere.

Then at 8:02 am a much more intense outbreak was recorded, which experts assessed as X9.3.

According to NASA, the flares were detected in an active region of the Sun known as AR 2673. This region was also the site of a medium explosion as recently as September 4, 2017.

Period of solar minimum

Scientists find the timing of these intense flares a little strange. The fact is that the Sun is in a quieter period of its 11-year solar cycle, this period is known as solar minimum. The solar cycle began with the 2008 solar minimum, which is expected to repeat in the near future.

This is the phase when energy eruptions on the Sun occur less and less frequently, however, as recent events have shown, even with minimal activity, the surface of the Sun can still be shaken by powerful energy explosions.

The most powerful flashes

The last time such strong activity was seen on the Sun was in 2006. Then the flash rating was X9.0

The largest solar flare ever recorded was observed in 2003. It was part of an unprecedented solar activity known as the All Hallows' Day Storm.

The intensity of the strongest flare was estimated at X28, but the results were taken before the intensity of the flare overloaded the observatory's solar sensors, so it is likely that the flare was more powerful.

The number next to the X indicates the intensity of the activity, for example X2 is twice as intense as X1, and X3 is three times as intense, and so on.

Impact of solar activity

Typically, such strong explosions are accompanied by coronal mass ejections, which lead to strong geomagnetic storms. It is not yet known whether there was a release.

If the coronal solar mass ejection was directed towards the Earth, then we cannot avoid a geomagnetic storm.

The intensity of this latest storm means magnificent auroras will be seen in northern and southern latitudes. Usually these natural phenomena are limited to latitudes closer to the Arctic Circle, but this time the lights can be expected much further south.

In the first half of Wednesday, September 6, 2017, scientists recorded the most powerful solar flare in the last 12 years. The flash is assigned a score of X9.3 - the letter means it belongs to the class of extremely large flashes, and the number indicates the strength of the flash. The release of billions of tons of matter occurred almost in the region of AR 2673, almost in the center of the solar disk, so earthlings did not escape the consequences of what happened. The second powerful flare (magnitude X1.3) was recorded on the evening of Thursday, September 7, the third - today, Friday, September 8.

The sun releases enormous energy into space

Solar flares, depending on the power of X-ray radiation, are divided into five classes: A, B, C, M and X. The minimum class A0.0 corresponds to a radiation power in Earth's orbit of ten nanowatts per square meter, the next letter means a tenfold increase in power. During the most powerful flares of which the Sun is capable, enormous energy is released into the surrounding space, in a few minutes - about a hundred billion megatons of TNT equivalent. This is about a fifth of the energy emitted by the Sun in one second, and all the energy that humanity would produce in a million years (assuming it was produced at modern rates).

Powerful geomagnetic storm expected

X-ray radiation reaches the planet in eight minutes, heavy particles in several hours, and plasma clouds in two to three days. The coronal ejection from the first flare has already reached the Earth, the planet collided with a cloud of solar plasma with a diameter of about one hundred million kilometers, although it was previously predicted that this would happen by the evening of Friday, September 8. The geomagnetic storm of level G3-G4 (a five-point scale ranging from weak G1 to extremely strong G5), triggered by the first flare, should end on Friday evening. Coronal ejections from the second and third solar flares have not yet reached the Earth; possible consequences should be expected at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

The consequences of the outbreak have long been clear

Geophysicists predict aurora in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, cities located at relatively low latitudes for the aurora. It has already been spotted in the US state of Arkansas. As recently as Thursday, operators in the US and Europe reported non-critical communication outages. The level of X-ray radiation in low-Earth orbit has increased slightly; the military clarifies that there is no direct threat to satellites and ground systems, as well as the crew of the ISS.

Image: NASA/GSFC

There is still a risk for low-orbit and geostationary satellites. The former risk failure due to braking on the heated atmosphere, and the latter, having moved 36 thousand kilometers from the Earth, may collide with a cloud of solar plasma. There may be interruptions in radio communications, but a final assessment of the consequences of the outbreak must wait until at least the end of the week. The deterioration of people's well-being due to changes in the geomagnetic environment has not been scientifically proven.

Possible increase in solar activity

The last time such an outbreak was observed was on September 7, 2005, but the strongest (with a score of X28) occurred even earlier (November 4, 2003). In particular, on October 28, 2003, one of the high-voltage transformers in the Swedish city of Malmo failed, cutting off power to the entire populated area for an hour. Other countries were also affected by the storm. A few days before the events of September 2005, a less powerful flare was recorded, and scientists believed that the Sun would calm down. What has been happening in recent days is very reminiscent of that situation. This behavior of the star means that the 2005 record may still be broken in the near future.

Image: NASA/GSFC

However, over the past three centuries, humanity has experienced even more powerful solar flares than those that occurred in 2003 and 2005. In early September 1859, a geomagnetic storm caused the telegraph systems of Europe and North America to fail. The cause was said to be a powerful coronal mass ejection that reached the planet in 18 hours and was observed on September 1 by British astronomer Richard Carrington. There are also studies questioning the effects of the solar flare of 1859, scientists that the magnetic storm affected only local areas of the planet.

Solar flares are difficult to quantify

A consistent theory describing the formation of solar flares does not yet exist. Flares occur, as a rule, in places where sunspots interact on the border of regions of northern and southern magnetic polarity. This leads to the rapid release of energy from the magnetic and electric fields, which is then used to heat the plasma (increasing the speed of its ions).

The observed spots are areas of the Sun's surface with a temperature approximately two thousand degrees Celsius lower than the temperature of the surrounding photosphere (approximately 5.5 thousand degrees Celsius). In the darkest parts of the sunspot, the magnetic field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the Sun; in the lighter areas they are closer to the tangent. The magnetic field strength of such objects exceeds its terrestrial value thousands of times, and the flares themselves are associated with a sharp change in the local geometry of the magnetic field.

The solar flare occurred against the background of minimum solar activity. This is probably how the star sheds energy and will soon calm down. Similar events occurred earlier in the history of the star and the planet. The fact that this is attracting public attention today speaks not of a sudden threat to humanity, but of scientific progress - despite everything, scientists are gradually better understanding the processes occurring with the star, and reporting this to taxpayers.

Where to monitor the situation

Information about solar activity can be obtained from many sources. In Russia, for example, from the websites of two institutes: and (the first, at the time of writing, posted a direct warning about the danger to satellites due to a solar flare, the second contains a convenient graph of flare activity), which use data from American and European services. Interactive data on solar activity, as well as an assessment of the current and future geomagnetic situation can be found on the website