Astronomy Journal Entry
Enormous Solar Flare Erupts (February 5, 2000)
Solar flare is the bright spot at the upper left. Courtesy Holloman Air Force Base.
An extremely large solar flare erupted on the surface of the Sun on Saturday. NOAA data shows it is one of the largest and brightest flares of the solar cycle that is currently at its 11-year peak.
The energy released by the flare was about 10 million times greater than that from a typical volcanic explosion on Earth.
The flare was followed by a dramatic coronal mass ejection that shot a trail of hot plasma from the Sun's surface at speeds of 500 kilometers/second.
Solar flares occur more often when the solar sunspot cycle is at its maximum. The solar particles interact with particles in Earth's upper atmosphere. The interaction can trigger geomagnetic storms that may disrupt radio and satellite communications or cause power failures.
