An M-class flare occurred on the Sun, which can jam GPS and satellite communications. Photo

A class M solar flare has occurred on the Sun. Scientists warn that it could jam GPS and satellite communications.

The Sun's activity has risen to high levels due to the M9.4 flare, scientists say. The eruption was strong enough to send a wave around the hot star and high-energy particles to Earth, Earth Sky writes.

Solar activity

"The M9.45 solar flare occurred in an unnamed region near the northeastern limb of the Sun," the US Weather Tracking Company wrote on its X network page.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center warned that the 10-centimeter radio flare indicates that the electromagnetic flare associated with the solar flare was quite powerful. "This could indicate significant radio noise. This noise is usually short-lived, but it can cause interference with sensitive receivers, including radar, GPS, and satellite communications," the scientists emphasized.

Classes of flares

According to scientists, over the past 24 hours, the Sun has created 20 flares – two class M and 18 class C.

Scientists classify solar flares according to their maximum brightness in X-rays. There are five categories. Class X flares are the largest and can cause radio blackouts around the world and prolonged radiation storms in the upper atmosphere, ESA writes.

M-class flares cause short radio blackouts that affect the polar regions of the Earth. Class C outbreaks are ten times smaller than the previous ones. Their effects are hardly noticeable on Earth.

The next two classes B and A are the smallest and they pass without noticeable consequences for the Earth.

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