Britain’s aurora borealis ‘not over yet’ as the Sun unleashes a massive flash

The sun isn’t done with us yet, as it unleashed its most powerful flare in nearly a decade, just days after solar storms caused the aurora borealis to appear in unusual locations. “It’s not over yet!” was the message from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) following the event.

People shared images from Coventry and Warwickshire as the northern lights were spotted across the UK last weekend.

This flare is considered the largest in the current 11-year solar cycle, which is approaching its maximum activity phase, NOAA experts said. Fortunately, Earth is expected to avoid any direct impact this time, as the eruption occurred on a section of the sun that rotates away from our planet.

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NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the intense X-ray burst, which was classified as an X8.7 event, the most significant since 2005. Bryan Brasher of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, suggested that further analysis could reveal the eruption to be even stronger than initial measurements suggest.

This latest solar flare follows a series of flares and coronal mass ejections over the past week that have threatened to disrupt power grids and communications systems both on Earth and in space. NASA reported that one of its environmental satellites began spinning unexpectedly due to the geomagnetic storm, causing it to enter a precautionary “safe mode.”

Meanwhile, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been instructed to remain in areas with substantial radiation protection. Despite the increased solar activity, NASA assured the crew was never in danger, reports Wales Online.

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