Sun emits intense flare; NASA telescope captures image

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on Sunday, December 31. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught an image of the event that peaked at 4:55 p.m. EST, the agency said.

For the unversed, solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that have the potential to impact various technological systems on Earth. NASA's continuous vigilance over the Sun through the Solar Dynamics Observatory ensures the monitoring of such events and the gathering of crucial data for understanding solar behaviour.

Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, and navigation systems, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This particular solar flare was classified as an X5.0 flare, with X denoting the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on Dec. 31, 2023, peaking at 4:55 EST. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as X5.0. https://t.co/rdALPuiOcm pic.twitter.com/CZeqHfkm0J

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) January 1, 2024

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is a vigilant eye on the Sun, providing real-time imagery and valuable data that helps scientists in understanding solar phenomena.

The Sun is approaching Solar maximum, the phase in the 11-year solar cycle when solar activity reaches its peak. During this period, the Sun's magnetic activity is at its most intense, leading to a higher frequency of sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). 

The current solar cycle, Solar Cycle 25, began in December 2019, and the Sun's activity will ramp up until solar maximum, predicted for 2025.