Sun shoots giant solar flare into space on Easter! Will Earth be impacted? Check NASA rating

The wrath of the sun continues to be seen in the form of solar flares as it progresses in its 11-year cycle! On Easter Holiday, the Sun unleashed a significant solar flare which peaked on April 16 at 11:34 PM EDT (9:00 AM IST on April 17). Soon after this, a massive solar eruption known as a coronal mass ejection was recorded on the Sun's surface, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), which is overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed. The flare emerged from a cluster of active sunspots, Regions 2994 and 2993, which have been the spot for significant sun flaring. The Earth was impacted by this most recent solar flare, but more on that later.

How strong was the solar flare? X1.1 rating is what it got! According to NASA, an X-class denotes the most intense flares along with the number which shows the intensity symbol of the solar flare via its strength. That means an X2 category of the solar flare would be twice the intensity of an X1-class flare. Similarly, X3 would be three times more intense. In total, there are four classes of solar flares - A, B, C, M, and X based on their intensity. The solar flare lasted about 34 minutes, SWPC officials confirmed to Space.com.

And it’s not the end..

“Solar activity is expected to be active over the next week as these sunspots migrate across the visible disk,” the Agency wrote in an update. In the recent weeks, we have been continuously witnessing several other solar flares. And now it is expected to be active even in the next few weeks too.

SWPC mentions that the Easter solar flare led to a brief radio blackout which is classified as a Type II solar radio burst. Well the good part is because the solar eruption occurred on the eastern part of the sun, the full force of the blast bypassed Earth, Space.com reported.

But why are we witnessing constant Solar flares?

According to the experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Sun has begun its 'Solar Cycle 25', which is expected to peak in 2025. Solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the start of a new solar cycle. A new solar cycle changes every 11 years.

During this transition of the solar cycle, the Sun transforms its nature from relatively calm to active and stormy and then again quiet. The recent solar storms are the consequences of the Solar Cycle 25.