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What is a solar flare?
A solar flare is basically an explosion on the sun where large burst of energy are released. They can range from minutes to hours in length. For example, a large flare can release enough energy to power the entire United States for roughly a million years. These flares happen when the magnetic fields in and around the Sun are twist and reconnect, snapping in the process. They are usually associated with sun spots, where the magnetic fields are strongest.
Solar flares are classified according to their strength, the smallest ones being A-Class, followed by B, C, M, and X. Each letter represents a tenfold increase in energy outputs, very similar to the Richter-Scale for earthquakes. Within each letter, there is another scale, with numbers from one to nine. A-class flares are so weak that they are barely noticeable above the Sun's background radiation. C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth, while M-class flares can cause brief blackouts at the poles. M-class flares can also cause minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts.
X-class flares however, are much more powerful. Although X is the last letter class, there are X-flares more than ten times the power of an X-1 flare, so the X-class is the only one that can go higher than nine. Thex can cause long-lasting radiation storms, harming satellites and giving airline passengers flying near the poles small radiation dosages. They can also cause worldwide blackouts.
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