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Solar flare: what is this phenomenon that can have effects on the Earth?
Solar flare: what is this phenomenon that can have effects on the Earth? – (France 2)
The last day of 2023 was marked by the largest solar flare. But what is a solar flare, and what effects can it have on Earth?
The largest solar flare took place on the last day of 2023. A solar flare is “a release of energy on the surface of the Sun”, indicates journalist Simon Ricottier, present on the set of 20 Heures, Wednesday January 10. Thanks to NASA, we have impressive images of the very high speed expulsion of plasma, X-rays, Gamma rays and electrically charged particles.
A phenomenon that we should see again often in 2024 because it is cyclical. “For about eleven years, the Sun is calm, and every eleven years, spots appear on its surface. This is a sign of intense electromagnetic activity”, specifies the journalist. In an image of the Sun taken a few days ago, we can see black spots, a dozen sunspots as big as fifteen times our planet.
Disturbances on satellites
The Earth is protected by a magnetic shield that blocks the majority of particles expelled during these solar flares, but this has one visible effect: the Northern Lights. On the other hand, this phenomenon can disrupt satellites and cause disruptions in radio communications and electricity.
