The Sun wanted to celebrate the new year with us 😊
Our Sun helped ring in the new year with a strong X5.0 solar flare on Dec. 31, captured here as a large bright flash by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The Sun influences the Earth in more ways than just brightening your day. Solar flares are sudden explosions of energy caused by tangling of its magnetic fields near sunspots, or cooler areas on the Sun’s surface.
A fleet of space and land-based instruments monitor solar weather, which can cause disruptions to satellites, GPS, and radio communications. The Sun goes through periods of high and low activity, the height of the Sun’s activity is known as the Solar Maximum, where solar flares and sunspots are more common. The next expected solar maximum is July 2025.
Image description: The Sun appears orange with pink accents that arc around it surface highlighting the storms and its texture. Black space surrounds the full disc Sun.
Credit: NASA/SDO
#Sun #Space #SolarSystem #NASA #SDO #SundayFunday
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07 January 2024
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