Why do solar flares occur

Scientists classify strong solar flares into one of three categories: C, M or X with A and B classes, too, for weaker eruptions. There's a tenfold increase in power from one class to the next, so an X flare is 10 times stronger than an M flare, and times more powerful than a C. There's also a finer gradation within each class, from 1 to 9 in the case of C and M flares. But the number goes higher for X flares, because they're at the top of the scale and the sun occasionally fires off eruptions more than 10 times stronger than an X1.

For example, in , the sun let loose a flare that registered as an X28 before overwhelming the sensors that measured it. It remains the most powerful solar flare ever recorded. As the magnetic energy is being released, particles, including electrons , protons , and heavy nuclei , are heated and accelerated in the solar atmosphere. The energy released during a flare is typically on the order of 10 27 ergs per second. Large flares can emit up to 10 32 ergs of energy.

This energy is ten million times greater than the energy released from a volcanic explosion. On the other hand, it is less than one-tenth of the total energy emitted by the Sun every second. There are typically three stages to a solar flare.

First is the precursor stage, where the release of magnetic energy is triggered. Soft x-ray emission is detected in this stage. In the second or impulsive stage, protons and electrons are accelerated to energies exceeding 1 MeV. During the impulsive stage, radio waves, hard x-rays, and gamma rays are emitted. Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots. More about the Sun! What is the solar cycle?

What is the Sun's corona? Make Sun paper! If you liked this, you may like: What Is the Solar Cycle? What Is Space Weather? All About the Sun. There are three categories: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger radio blackouts around the whole world and long-lasting radiation storms in the upper atmosphere.

M-class flares are medium-sized; they generally cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth.