Experts from Nasa have warned that this week the Sun could shoot solar flares to Earth that can shut down radio signals and cause navigation blackouts. A recently formed sunspot on the solar surface is said to have emitted a number of strong 'M-class' flares. It's 'M-class' solar flares that have the ability to cause radio blackouts.
A solar flare is a sudden flash of increased brightness on the Sun, usually observed near its surface and in close proximity to a sunspot group. Powerful flares are often, but not always, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection. Even the most powerful flares are barely detectable in the total solar irradiance.
Nasa previously explained, "The energy from a flare can disrupt the area of the atmosphere through which radio waves travel. This can lead to degradation and at worst temporary blackouts in navigation and communications signals."
Key pointers
The Earth's magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares.
Weaker solar flares are responsible for auroras like the Northern Lights.
The sun can also emit flares called 'coronal mass ejection', or CME, which are far stronger than an 'M-class' solar flare.
In 1989, a strong solar eruption shot so many electrically charged particles at Earth that the Canadian Province of Quebec lost power for nine hours.
Solar flares may cause issues for our tech on Earth but they could be deadly for an astronaut if they result in injury or interfere with mission control communications.
The sun is currently at the start of a new 11-year solar cycle, which usually sees eruptions and flares grow more intense and extreme.
These events are expected to peak around 2025 and it's hoped the Solar Orbiter will observe them all as it aims to fly within 26 million miles of the sun.
