Over the next several days there will be more powerful solar storms according to space whether experts, along with the hyperactive sunspot that fired off two major solar flares in the past 24 hours.
According to NBC News, Late Sunday night, Mother’s Day, active sunspots released an X Class Solar Flare, which is the strongest class of a solar storm possible. The first sun flare erupted at an X1.7 class which was at its highest around 10p.m. according to Red Orbit. The second occurred mid-day Monday releasing the biggest solar flare yet in the year 2013 at a class X2.8.
The solar flare sent on mother’s day released a hot wave of solar plasma called a Coronal Mass Ejection. This is when a very large emission of plasma from the sun creates a massive burst of solar wind. CME’s have the power to release solar material and radiation in the direction they are shot. Thank goodness in this solar flare it was not released in earth’s direction.
The massive gust of wind shot at nearly 2.6 million mph on mother’s day, and then the second gust shot through space at a rapid 4.3 million mph.
NASA officials have stated that: "If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from solar material."
"There is some particle radiation associated with this event, which is what can concern operators of interplanetary spacecraft since the particles can trip computer electronics on board."
If an X class solar flare were to in fact be aimed at earth it would pose a serious threat to astronauts and satellites in space. It could possibly even hit system infrastructures that are based on the ground if strong enough. This cycle being the suns “activity cycle” is called solar cycle 24 which began in 2008 and expects to peak this year reaching its Solar Maximum.
"Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment because the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in 2013."
According to Space, astronomer Tony Philips of Spaceweather.com stated that there were no planets in direct shot of the solar flares:
"No planets were in the line of fire," said astronomer Tony Phillips written on his website. "The sunspot that produced this blast is on the far side of the sun. Soon, in a few days, it will turn toward Earth, emerging into view over the sun's eastern limb."
The largest X-Flare in the cycle occurred at an X6.9 that happened August 9, 2011.