A powerful solar flare could clear the night sky over parts of the US this Halloween weekend.
Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which operates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Friday that it had recorded a “significant solar flare” emanating from the sun.
Two further blasts included an eruption of solar material, a process called coronal mass ejection, and an invisible swarm of solar energetic particles, which ejected into the Earth, Goddard said.
The harmful radiation generated by solar flares can’t enter the Earth’s atmosphere, or influence man, but can interfere with the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communication signals are sent.
The hit was considered to be X1 – with the X-Class being the most intense.
In a blog posting, Nasa said the ‘significant’ eruption was classed as X1.
When directed directly to the Earth, these intense beacons may also be accompanied by a massive eruption of solar particles, commonly known as coronal mass ejection.
Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which monitors the star’s activity, captured a picture of the eruption at 11.35pm (AEST) on Thursday.
