A Solar Flare of the Highest Class Has Occurred on the Sun

The highest class X flare was recorded on the Sun on Sunday, the Institute of Applied Geophysics reported to TASS.

"On May 25 at 04:52 Moscow time (05:52 Baku time), an X1.1 flare with a duration of 17 minutes was registered in the X-ray range in sunspot group 4098 (S05W22)," the institute reports.

Solar flares are divided into five classes depending on the power of X-ray radiation: A, B, C, M, and X. The minimum class A0.0 corresponds to a radiation power of 10 nanowatts per square meter at Earth's orbit. When moving to the next letter, the power increases by 10 times. Flares are typically accompanied by ejections of solar plasma, the clouds of which, upon reaching Earth, can trigger magnetic storms.