Sun Releases 2 Strong Flares: May 10-11, 2024 | NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory

Sun Releases 2 Strong Flares: May 10-11, 2024 | NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, peaking at 9:23 p.m. ET on May 10, 2024, and 7:44 a.m. ET on May 11, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured images of the events. It watches the Sun constantly. The flares are classified as X5.8 and X1.5-class flares, respectively. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

Image Description: A side-by-side image of two solar flares that erupted on May 10-11, 2024. The images show close-ups of one edge of the Sun, with bright flashes (the flare) towards the center of the image. The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlight the extremely hot material in flares created from a mixture of SDO’s AIA 193, 171 and 131 channels.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. 

NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Release Date: May 11, 2024

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