What Are Sun Bursts?

Japan's Information and Communication Research Institute announced on February 16, 2011 that its researchers observed a large-scale solar flare burst on the morning of the 15th. The agency pointed out that solar flares can interfere with the ionosphere above the earth, and thus interfere with satellite communications, and precautions should be taken as soon as possible. Solar flares are the phenomenon of sudden brightening of some areas of the solar chromosphere, and are the most intense solar activity. The solar flare on the 15th was first discovered by researchers at the Information and Communication Research Institute when they observed it with a radio telescope on the ground, and later confirmed it with an optical telescope.

Solar flare burst

The agency

Solar flares have an activity cycle of about 11 years, and their activities have been weak in recent years. This huge solar flare outbreak is the first such a large-scale outbreak since December 2006, and it is believed that the solar activity has become active again.

The 24th solar activity week broke out with the largest level of flare. Shortwave communication in China was affected. Xinhua Net, Beijing, February 15, 2011 (Reporter Zhang Xinxin) A reporter learned from the China Meteorological Administration that an X2.2 flare broke out in the sunspot active area on the 15th, causing sudden disturbances in the ionosphere over China, which constituted short-wave communications. influences. This is the first X-level flare since the beginning of Solar Week 24, and it is the largest flare burst to date in this Solar Week.

At 9:56 on February 15, 2011, the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center of China Meteorological Administration detected an X2.2-level flare in the sunspot active area 11158. Experts said that large flares would cause attenuation or even interruption of short-wave signals on the sun's side of the earth, and the flares had a certain impact on short-wave communications in southern China.

Prior to this, in the early morning of the 14th, an M6.6 flare broke out in the active area, and the amount of solar radiation reached a new high in the 24th solar active week. However, there were no significant signs of solar storms after the flare, which had little effect on the earth.

It is reported that solar flares are one of the most severe solar activities. Their life span is only a few minutes to several tens of minutes, and their brightness rises rapidly to a maximum and then slowly decreases, which is an important sign of a strong solar storm event.

With the advent of the high year of solar activity, the rate of increase in solar activity is accelerating, and solar outbreaks will become more frequent. In the next three days, 11158 flares may still erupt in the active area. The National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center will closely monitor the subsequent impact of the event and timely release forecast and early warning information. ^[2]