Video: Two powerful solar flares have just occurred, directed towards Earth

Two major solar flares occurred within hours of each other, potentially accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME) headed towards Earth.

On the evening of May 2, the Sun emitted a powerful class X flare, the most intense category, disrupting short-wave radio communications in Australia, Japan, and China. This flare peaked at 02:22 GMT and concluded five minutes later. A second flare, class M, occurred early in the morning on May 3 around 08:00 GMT.


These events could be associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME), a dense flow of plasma and magnetic field projected into space. Such an ejection, if directed towards Earth, could cause major disruptions, affecting power grids, communications, and satellites, while also offering a spectacle of intense auroras at lower latitudes.

Solar flares are classified by intensity, with class X being the highest, followed by classes M, C, B, and A, each category being ten times less powerful than the previous one. The risk associated with these flares increases with their intensity.

Solar activity is on the rise as it approaches the solar maximum expected in the Sun's 11-year cycle, continuing to pose significant challenges for terrestrial and space technology. Careful monitoring by agencies such as NASA and NOAA is crucial to prevent the technological and environmental impacts of these powerful eruptions.