{ "id": 10109, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "X-Class: A Guide to Solar Flares", "description": "Flares happen when the powerful magnetic fields in and around the sun reconnect. They're usually associated with active regions, often seen as sun spots, where the magnetic fields are strongest. Flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are B-class, followed by C, M and X, the largest. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class, there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts. Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher than 9. The most powerful flare on record was in 2003, during the last solar maximum. It was so powerful that it overloaded the sensors measuring it. They cut-out at X17, and the flare was later estimated to be about X45. A powerful X-class flare like that can create long lasting radiation storms, which can harm satellites and even give airline passengers, flying near the poles, small radiation doses. X flares also have the potential to create global transmission problems and world-wide blackouts. || ", "release_date": "2011-08-09T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:41.957045-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 487409, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_print.jpg", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 }, "main_video": { "id": 487397, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 960, "height": 720, "pixels": 691200 }, "main_credits": {}, "progress": "Complete", "media_groups": [ { "id": 351539, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/#media_group_351539", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Flares happen when the powerful magnetic fields in and around the sun reconnect. They're usually associated with active regions, often seen as sun spots, where the magnetic fields are strongest. Flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are B-class, followed by C, M and X, the largest. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class, there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts. Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher than 9. The most powerful flare on record was in 2003, during the last solar maximum. It was so powerful that it overloaded the sensors measuring it. They cut-out at X17, and the flare was later estimated to be about X45. A powerful X-class flare like that can create long lasting radiation storms, which can harm satellites and even give airline passengers, flying near the poles, small radiation doses. X flares also have the potential to create global transmission problems and world-wide blackouts.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 351540, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/#media_group_351540", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.

For complete transcript, click here.", "items": [ { "id": 329167, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487409, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_print.jpg", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 329164, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487398, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_web.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 329165, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487399, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_thm.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } }, { "id": 329152, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487405, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_prores_1280x720_59.94.mov", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_prores_1280x720_59.94.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329153, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487403, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_Best_1280x720_59.94.mov", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_Best_1280x720_59.94.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329154, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487404, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_Good_1280x720_29.97.mov", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_Good_1280x720_29.97.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329155, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487397, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 960, "height": 720, "pixels": 691200 } }, { "id": 329156, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487407, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_X_Class_A_Guide_to_Solar_Flares_Final.wmv", "filename": "10109_X_Class_A_Guide_to_Solar_Flares_Final.wmv", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329157, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487401, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_1280x720_30.mov", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_1280x720_30.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329158, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487400, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_MPEG4_1280X720_29.97.mp4", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_MPEG4_1280X720_29.97.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329159, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487402, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_1280x720_59.94_YouTube.mov", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_1280x720_59.94_YouTube.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329163, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487394, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1.tif", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_1.tif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329166, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487408, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.webmhd.webm", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.webmhd.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 960, "height": 540, "pixels": 518400 } }, { "id": 329160, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487396, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_640x360_29.97_iPhone.m4v", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_640x360_29.97_iPhone.m4v", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 640, "height": 360, "pixels": 230400 } }, { "id": 329161, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487395, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_Solar_Flares_H264_320x180_29.97_iPhone.m4v", "filename": "10109_Solar_Flares_H264_320x180_29.97_iPhone.m4v", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 329162, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487406, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_X_Class_A_Guide_to_Solar_Flares_Final_ipod_sm.mp4", "filename": "10109_X_Class_A_Guide_to_Solar_Flares_Final_ipod_sm.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short narrated video about flares, how they are classified, and their effect on Earth.For complete transcript, click here.", "width": 320, "height": 240, "pixels": 76800 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 351541, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/#media_group_351541", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Frame from movie showing the flare classification scale.", "items": [ { "id": 329170, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487412, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2_print.jpg", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Frame from movie showing the flare classification scale.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 329169, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487411, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2_web.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Frame from movie showing the flare classification scale.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 329168, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487410, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2.tif", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_2.tif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Frame from movie showing the flare classification scale.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 351542, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/#media_group_351542", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "SDO AIA 304 image of February 15, 2011 X class flare.", "items": [ { "id": 329171, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487413, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_3.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_3.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "SDO AIA 304 image of February 15, 2011 X class flare.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329172, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487414, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_3_web.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_3_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "SDO AIA 304 image of February 15, 2011 X class flare.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 351543, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109/#media_group_351543", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "items": [ { "id": 329182, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487424, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4_print.jpg", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 329180, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487416, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4_web.png", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 329173, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487422, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_prores_1280x720_59.94.mov", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_prores_1280x720_59.94.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329174, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487417, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/frames/1280x720_16x9_60p/", "filename": "1280x720_16x9_60p", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329175, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487420, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_Good_1280x720_29.97.mov", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_Good_1280x720_29.97.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329176, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487418, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.m4v", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 960, "height": 720, "pixels": 691200 } }, { "id": 329177, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487419, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_1280x720_30.mov", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_1280x720_30.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329178, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487421, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_MPEG4_1280X720_29.97.mp4", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_MPEG4_1280X720_29.97.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329179, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487415, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4.tif", "filename": "Solar_Flares_1280x720_Still_4.tif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 329181, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 487423, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010100/a010109/10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.webmhd.webm", "filename": "10109_SDO_Wavelength_H264_960x720_29.97_Apple_TV.webmhd.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "Short animation showing the many wavelengths of the sun provided by SDO.", "width": 960, "height": 540, "pixels": 518400 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Heliophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Animator", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "UMBC" }, { "name": "Walt Feimer", "employer": "HTSI" }, { "name": "Chris Smith", "employer": "HTSI" }, { "name": "Tom Bridgman", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." }, { "name": "Alex Kekesi", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Video editor", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "UMBC" } ] }, { "role": "Narrator", "people": [ { "name": "Karen Fox", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "UMBC" } ] }, { "role": "Writer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "UMBC" }, { "name": "Karen Fox", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] } ], "missions": [ "SDO", "SOHO", "STEREO", "TRACE" ], "series": [ "Goddard Shorts", "Narrated Movies" ], "tapes": [ "X-Class: A Guide to Solar Flares (Produced by: Robert Crippen)" ], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Sun" ], "keywords": [ "Earth Science", "Edited Feature", "HDTV", "Narrated", "SDO", "SOHO", "Solar Active Regions", "Solar Activity", "Solar Cycle", "Solar Dynamics Observatory", "Solar Flares", "Solar Radiation", "Solar Ultraviolet", "Space", "Space Weather", "STEREO", "Sun-earth Interactions", "Sunspots", "TRACE" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 11531, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11531/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Swift Catches Mega Flares from a Mini Star", "description": "On April 23, NASA's Swift satellite detected the strongest, hottest, and longest-lasting sequence of stellar flares ever seen from a nearby red dwarf star. The initial blast from this record-setting series of explosions was as much as 10,000 times more powerful than the largest solar flare ever recorded. At its peak, the flare reached temperatures of 360 million degrees Fahrenheit (200 million Celsius), more than 12 times hotter than the center of the sun. The \"superflare\" came from one of the stars in a close binary system known as DG Canum Venaticorum, or DG CVn for short, located about 60 light-years away. Both stars are dim red dwarfs with masses and sizes about one-third of our sun's. They orbit each other at about three times Earth's average distance from the sun, which is too close for Swift to determine which star erupted. At 5:07 p.m. EDT on April 23, the rising tide of X-rays from DG CVn's superflare triggered Swift's Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). Swift turned to observe the source in greater detail with other instruments and, at the same time, notified astronomers around the globe that a powerful outburst was in progress.For about three minutes after the BAT trigger, the superflare's X-ray brightness was greater than the combined luminosity of both stars at all wavelengths under normal conditions.The largest solar explosions are classified as extraordinary, or X class, solar flares based on their X-ray emission. The biggest flare ever seen from the sun occurred in November 2003 and is rated as X 45. But if the flare on DG CVn were viewed from a planet the same distance as Earth is from the sun and measured the same way, it would have been ranked 10,000 times greater, at about X 100,000. How can a star just a third the size of the sun produce such a giant eruption? The key factor is its rapid spin, a crucial ingredient for amplifying magnetic fields. The flaring star in DG CVn rotates in under a day, about 30 or more times faster than our sun. The sun also rotated much faster in its youth and may well have produced superflares of its own, but, fortunately for us, it no longer appears capable of doing so. || ", "release_date": "2014-09-30T14:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:50:30.351559-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 455893, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011531/DG_CVn_Flare_FINAL_1080.jpg", "filename": "DG_CVn_Flare_FINAL_1080.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "NASA's Swift mission detected a record-setting series of X-ray flares unleashed by DG CVn, a nearby binary consisting of two red dwarf stars, illustrated here. At its peak, the initial flare was brighter in X-rays than the combined light from both stars at all wavelengths under normal conditions. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/S. Wiessinger", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 4151, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4151/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Looking Back: The Record Flare for Solar Cycle 24", "description": "On August 9, 2011 at 3:48 a.m. EDT, the sun emitted an Earth-directed X6.9 flare, as measured by the NOAA GOES satellite. These gigantic bursts of radiation cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, however they can disrupt the atmosphere and disrupt GPS and communications signals. In this case, it appears the flare is strong enough to potentially cause some radio communication blackouts. It also produced increased solar energetic proton radiation — enough to affect humans in space if they do not protect themselves.As of March 2014, this flare is the largest of solar cycle 24.Here are the raw images used in creating the components in Sun Unleashes X6.9 Class Flare on August 9, 2011 || ", "release_date": "2014-05-16T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:50:54.552822-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 457394, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004100/a004151/Aug2011X6Flare_131A_stand.HD1080i.00050.jpg", "filename": "Aug2011X6Flare_131A_stand.HD1080i.00050.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The X6.9 flare as seen by SDO/AIA in 13.1nm filter.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 11285, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11285/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "First X-Class Solar Flares of 2013", "description": "On May 13, 2013, the sun emitted an X2.8-class flare, peaking at 12:05 p.m. EDT. This is the the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the X1.7-class flare that occurred 14 hours earlier. It is the 16th X-class flare of the current solar cycle and the third-largest flare of that cycle. The second-strongest was an X5.4 event on March 7, 2012. The strongest was an X6.9 on Aug. 9, 2011.On May 12, 2013, the sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 10 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.7, making it the first X-class flare of 2013. The flare was also associated with another solar phenomenon, called a coronal mass ejection (CME) that can send solar material out into space. This CME was not Earth-directed. The May 12 flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space, which can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models show that the CME left the sun at 745 miles per second and is not Earth-directed, however its flank may pass by the STEREO-B and Spitzer spacecraft, and their mission operators have been notified. 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. || ", "release_date": "2013-05-13T10:30:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:10.120221-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 465387, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011200/a011285/SDO_May_13_XFlare_131-171_Crop_web.jpg", "filename": "SDO_May_13_XFlare_131-171_Crop_web.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The sun erupted with an X1.7-class solar flare on May 12, 2013. This is a blend of two images of the flare from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) — one image shows light in the 171 angstrom wavelength, the other in 131 angstroms.Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA", "width": 319, "height": 298, "pixels": 95062 } }, { "id": 11262, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11262/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Sun Emits Mid-Level Flare and Prominence Eruption", "description": "The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. 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 disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided.This flare is classified as an M5.7-class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, as the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013. || ", "release_date": "2013-05-03T21:30:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:11.429643-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 465904, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011200/a011262/May_3_Flare_171-304-131_blend-crop_web.jpg", "filename": "May_3_Flare_171-304-131_blend-crop_web.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A burst of solar material leaps off the left side of the sun in what's known as a prominence eruption. This image combines three images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured on May 3, 2013, at 1:45 pm EDT, just as an M-class solar flare from the same region was subsiding. The images include light from the 131-, 171- and 304-angstrom wavelengths.Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA", "width": 320, "height": 233, "pixels": 74560 } }, { "id": 11120, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11120/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Active Region on the Sun Emits Another Flare", "description": "The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at 11:17 p.m. EDT. The flare came from an active region on the left side of the sun that has been numbered AR 1598, which has already been the source of a number of weaker flares. This flare was classified as an X.1-class 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, and on. An X-class flare of this intensity can cause degradation or blackouts of radio communications for about an hour. 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 can disrupt radio signals for anywhere from minutes to hours. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which is the United States government's official source for space weather forecasts and alerts, categorized the radio blackout associated with this flare as an R3, on a scale from R1 to R5. It has since subsided. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in 2013. Humans have tracked this solar cycle continuously since it was discovered in 1843, and it is normal for there to be many flares a day during the sun's peak activity. The first X-class flare of the current solar cycle occurred on Feb. 15, 2011 and there have been 15 X-class flares total in this cycle, including this one. The largest X-class flare in this cycle was an X6.9 on Aug. 9, 2011. This is the 7th X-class flare in 2012 with the largest being an X5.4 flare on March 7. This flare did not have an associated Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. Watch this video on YouTube. || ", "release_date": "2012-10-23T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:52:41.293658-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 471137, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011100/a011120/X1_Oct_23_4-ply-No_Labels_web.jpg", "filename": "X1_Oct_23_4-ply-No_Labels_web.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "By observing the sun in a number of different wavelengths, NASA's telescopes can tease out different aspects of events on the sun. These four images of a solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, show from the top left, and moving clockwise: light from the sun in the 171 angstrom wavelength, which shows the structure of loops of solar material in the sun's atmosphere, the corona; light in 335 angstroms, which highlights light from active regions in the corona; a magnetogram, which shows magnetically active regions on the sun; light in the 304 wavelength, which shows light from the region of the sun's atmosphere where flares originate. Credit: NASA/SDO/GSFC", "width": 320, "height": 320, "pixels": 102400 } }, { "id": 10833, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10833/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "What Does It Take To Be X-Class?", "description": "The largest explosions in the solar system get rewarded for their sheer brawn with a fitting, sci-fi-sounding name: X-class. Made visible to us by sun-observing satellites, these solar flares are awesome to watch. Loops of solar material—called plasma—leap off the sun's surface and expand to 10 times the size of Earth. The biggest flares can produce as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs. Scientists categorize solar flares according to strength. The smallest ones are A-class, at near-background solar activity levels, followed by B, C, M, and X. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class there is a finer scale from one to nine. Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher than nine. As the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, expect more activity like the X6.9 flare on Aug. 9, 2011, seen above. Its brightness briefly overloaded satellite image sensors. Watch the videos below for footage of and a guide to these extreme solar phenomena. || ", "release_date": "2011-12-20T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:22.178898-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 480424, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010800/a010833/x-class_flare_outline_1024x576.jpg", "filename": "x-class_flare_outline_1024x576.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Giant explosions leap off the sun's surface with the power of a billion hydrogen bombs.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 11500, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11500/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Sun Unleashes X6.9 Class Flare on August 9, 2011", "description": "On August 9, 2011 at 3:48 a.m. EDT, the sun emitted an Earth-directed X6.9 flare, as measured by the NOAA GOES satellite. These gigantic bursts of radiation cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, however they can disrupt the atmosphere and disrupt GPS and communications signals. In this case, it appears the flare is strong enough to potentially cause some radio communication blackouts. It also produced increased solar energetic proton radiation — enough to affect humans in space if they do not protect themselves. As of March 2014, this flare is the largest of solar cycle 24. || ", "release_date": "2011-08-09T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:53:42.123801-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 484126, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011500/a011500/X6pt9_Flare_8-9-11_171and131_crop_web.jpg", "filename": "X6pt9_Flare_8-9-11_171and131_crop_web.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The August 9th, 2011 X6.9 flare as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) at 8:05UT in a blend of 171 and 131 angstrom light. Cropped.Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO", "width": 320, "height": 200, "pixels": 64000 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }