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NASA CAPTURES STUNNING X-CLASS SOLAR FLARES

By  //  June 12, 2014

images by nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory

ABOVE VIDEO: The sun emitted significant solar flares on June 10, 2014, peaking at 7:42 a.m. and 8:52 a.m.

Three X-class flares erupted from the left side of the sun June 10-11, 2014. These images are from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and show light in a blend of two ultraviolet wavelengths: 171 and 131 angstroms. The former is colorized in yellow; the latter, in red. (NASA.gov Image)
Three X-class flares erupted from the left side of the sun June 10-11, 2014. These images are from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and show light in a blend of two ultraviolet wavelengths: 171 and 131 angstroms. The former is colorized in yellow; the latter, in red. (NASA.gov Image)

On June 11, 2014, the sun erupted with its third X-class flare in two days.

A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 10, 2014, at 7:41 a.m. EDT. This is classified as an X2.2 flare, shown in a blend of two wavelengths of light: 171 and 131 angstroms, colorized in gold and red, respectively. (NASA.gov Image)
A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 10, 2014, at 7:41 a.m. EDT. This is classified as an X2.2 flare, shown in a blend of two wavelengths of light: 171 and 131 angstroms, colorized in gold and red, respectively. (NASA.gov Image)

The flare was classified as an X1.0 and it peaked at 5:06 a.m.  Images of the flare were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.

All three flares originated from an active region on the sun that recently rotated into view over the left limb of the sun.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground.

However, when intense enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

This flare is classified as an X2.2 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.

To see how this event may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center at SpaceWeather.gov, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, alerts, watches and warnings.