In an extraordinary celestial event, four significant M-class solar flares erupted from the sun on the night of December 25, 2024, within a span of fewer than three hours.
These solar flares were emitted from sunspot regions AR3938, AR3933, and AR3936, with the most potent reaching an intensity of M7.3, occurring at 10:15 p.m. EST (0315 GMT on December 26). Solar flares are measured on a scale, with M-class being second in power only to the X-class. The events were captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16), displaying an image akin to twinkling Christmas lights.
These flares were identified as ‘sympathetic solar flares,’ a rare phenomenon where synchronized eruptions occur across separate sunspot regions, interconnected by unseen magnetic loops. While these eruptions are fascinating, the prime concern remains their potential impact on Earth, which could include auroras.
The NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) forecasted that the coronal mass ejection (CME) from the strongest flare might bypass Earth, moving slightly northward. CMEs are powerful plasma bubbles emitted from the sun following intense solar flares, which can cause noticeable effects such as auroras when directed at Earth.
Despite the absence of immediate impacts from these particular solar flares, scientists anticipate continued solar activity from these active regions into the year’s end. The ongoing solar phenomena could provide opportunities for further skywatching events, with the possibility of auroras appearing if a CME aligns with Earth in the near future.
As the year concludes, the solar activity observed reaffirms the dynamic nature of our sun, offering potential for future celestial events observable from Earth.
Source: Space
