Solar flare booming from the Sun seen in stunning NASA satellite video – watch

The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) filmed the flare bursting from the northwest hemisphere of the Sun. In the video, a blast of magnetic filament can be seen booming through the atmosphere of the Sun, followed by a few shockwaves stemming from the epicentre.

Researchers classed it as a C2-class solar flare, which means it would not have been powerful enough to cause any problems on Earth.

However, it is a redundant point as the solar flare was facing away from Earth.

Astronomy site Space Weather said: “During the late hours of February 27, departing sunspot AR2804 produced a C2-class solar flare.

“NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) detected a shadowy wave rippling away from the blast site.

“This kind of wave is usually a sure-fire sign of a coronal mass ejection (CME).

“Indeed, just after the flare, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected a CME emerging from the Sun’s northwestern limb.

“Because the sunspot was not facing Earth, the CME will miss our planet.”

Often, solar particles released from CMEs can collide with Earth.

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Rarely does an event such as this happen, with the biggest technology-crippling solar storm coming in 1859, when a surge in electricity during what is now known as the Carrington Event, was so strong that telegraph systems went down across Europe.

There are also reports that some buildings set on fire as a result of the electrical surge.

More often than not, CMEs which hit Earth result in harmless auroras.

Auroras, which include northern lights – aurora borealis – and southern lights – aurora australis – are caused when solar particles hit the atmosphere.

As the planet’s magnetosphere gets bombarded by solar winds, stunning lights of various hues can appear in the northern and southernmost regions.

source: express.co.uk