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<music throughout> How do solar flares impact Earth?

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<music throughout>

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A solar flare is a burst of X-ray light.

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We know that the Sun influences space all the way down to the Earth's upper atmosphere.

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A new study observed

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when the X-rays pulsated, so too did the lower ionosphere.

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The ionosphere is the lowest level of space, a region of the upper atmosphere

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about 30 - 600 feet above sea level.

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It is home to the aurora, the International Space Station, radio waves, and satellites.

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This is the first time we have seen its

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response synchronized with solar flare pulsations.

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Understanding how the Sun affects

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near-Earth space helps us learn how to protect astronauts and satellites close to home.

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tone

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