New Sunspots Could Trigger Large Solar Flares

Astronomers announce the discovery of a new, active group of sunspots on the surface of our star, after a period of a couple of years in which the celestial body has been unusually quiet. The Sun usually functions in 11-year-long cycles, but it would appear that the last one has yet to pick up in speed and intensity, as expected. Now, the sunspot group 1045 is apparently capable of producing M-class solar flares, which are relatively harmless to our planet. But experts warn that the more dangerous X-class emissions could be on their way too.

X-class solar flares are extremely dangerous for our planet. They can pierce through the magnetosphere – the layer of our atmosphere that usually protects us from such effects – and reach the surface of the planet. Once through the atmosphere, they can easily fry electrical generators and power grids, essentially leaving us in the dark. In addition, they can also destroy satellites in the Earth's orbit, and can pose a significant threat to the health of astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), who are flying above the magnetosphere. Therefore, knowing in advance that this type of solar flares may form could help save lives, and avoid losing billions of dollars, Space reports.

According to Space, sunspots can be likened to soda bottle caps. They represent areas that are cooler than their surrounding, but that also experience a more intense magnetic activity. When the underlying layers are stirred sufficiently enough, the cap is blown, and a solar flare occurs. Often, this display of energy is associated with the emission of clouds of charged particles, called a coronal mass ejection. Sunspots of the intensity seen in 1045 usually produce M-class solar flares, but scientists at the US Space Weather Prediction Center warn that the X-class type – the most powerful ever observed – is also possible from this configuration.

Fortunately for us, in just one day, the American space agency, NASA, will be launching its newest dedicated satellite, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The spacecraft is designed especially to analyze the Sun from every possible angle, and experts hope that it will be able to provide them with answers to some of the most puzzling mysteries that our Sun hides from us today, such as why the star does not resume its regular activity. The SDO will launch on February 9 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base (CCAFB), in Florida, atop an Atlas 5 delivery system.