[Explanation] Recently, the sun has been very active. According to the data of the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center, since January 6, the sun has erupted three X-class flares and multiple M-class flares.
Why does the sun have frequent flares recently?
What impact will it have on the earth?
The reporter conducted interviews with relevant experts.
[Same period] Song Qiao, chief forecaster of the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center
Since January 6, a total of 3 X-class flares and 14 M-class flares have erupted. Today (January 11), 2 M-class flares have erupted so far.
On the whole recently, it is because the solar activity has a cycle of about 11 years, and it is now in the direction of the peak of the 11-year cycle, which is equivalent to the "career rising period" of the sun.
Recently, as the sun rotates, several relatively active regions are the solar active regions, which slowly rotate out from the eastern edge of the sun, presenting these (flare) eruptions to our observers on the earth.
[Explanation] Song Qiao introduced that flares are a way for the sun to release energy outwards. According to the flux of X-rays, flares are divided into five levels: A, B, C, M, and X from small to large.
[Same period] Song Qiao, chief forecaster of the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center
At present, it is mainly on the geosynchronous orbit. (According to) the intensity of the soft X-rays we receive from the sun, it is divided into five levels: A, B, C, M, and X, which are represented by letters. X level is currently the highest level.
In layman's terms, relatively strong flares may reach the energy level of a burst of (about one billion) nuclear bombs.
[Explanation] After a flare occurs, it is often accompanied by coronal mass ejection activities, which will directly threaten the safety of human space activities. High-energy rays will destroy the stability of the earth's ionosphere, thereby affecting broadcasting, radio, navigation and other systems.
[Concurrent] Le Guiming, chief forecaster of the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center
The solar flare we are talking about means that there is an area on the sun that suddenly brightens, and the photons it emits increase a lot, and it will cause ionization to the atmosphere of the earth. The atmosphere itself is ionized. After the flare, the ionization (density) increases. It will have a direct impact on communication, navigation and positioning.
If the solar flare is also accompanied by a coronal mass ejection, and the coronal mass ejection reaches the earth, it may cause a magnetic storm, that is, a sudden change in the earth's magnetic field, which will cause a series of damage to satellites, communication and navigation, and auroras at the north and south poles (etc.) Impact.
The X1.9-level flare that broke out in the early morning of the 10th had a relatively large impact on the ionospheric communication between South America and North America.
[Explanation] Will subsequent solar flares erupt?
Le Guiming said that the follow-up activity of the sun, which is in the rising cycle, may become stronger and stronger.
[Concurrent] Le Guiming, chief forecaster of the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center
If we look at it in a short period of time, we now have some relatively large sunspot groups on our sun. These sunspot groups are still relatively complicated, and it is entirely possible that they will continue to erupt in the future.
The second is from a large time scale, because our solar activity has an 11-year cycle, and the solar activity is still developing in the direction of high years. stronger.
Dong Zeyu reports from Beijing
Responsible editor: [Luo Pan]