MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Scientists from Russia’s Fedorov Institute of Applied Geophysics have recorded two M-class explosions on the Sun, which may cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth on November 30 - December 1.
"In the X-ray spectrum, an M3.4 flare that lasted 28 minutes and an M9.8 flare that went on for 34 minutes were recorded, followed by Type II spectral radio bursts and a geo-effective coronal mass ejection (CME). A disturbance in the magnetic field is expected on November 30 - December 1," the institute’s helio/geophysical department said.
Solar flares are divided into five classes according to their strength: the smallest ones are A-class, followed by B, C, M and X. A0.0 class is equal to the radiation energy found in the Earth’s orbit, 10 nanowatts per square meter. Each letter stands for a 10-fold increase in energy output. As a rule, the flares, known as giant explosions on the sun, send solar plasma into space, and the clouds of these charged particles can bring about geomagnetic storms when reaching the Earth.