The sun has been very active over the past few days. There have been multiple solar flares and CME's (coronal mass ejections) that have released from the sun towards Earth.
Basically, they are super-powered electrical charges that explode from the sun. Two of the flares that occurred yesterday were X-class, which is the highest, most powerful rating. They were an X9 and an X3 - the higher the number, the stronger the flare. The X9 flare was the strongest since 2003.
Solar flares can rate from A, B, C, M, X, with A being the weakest and X the strongest. There have also been a few M class flares in recent days as well.
How can they affect our planet?
- electrical outages or problems
- radio outages
- GPS or navigation interference
- auroras in the sky
- health risks for those with heart problems
- slight psychiatric issues
The other concerns are that these flares can contribute to earthquakes and intense storms.
The X9 and X3 flares should reach Earth sometime Friday here in the U.S.
Now, this isn't something to panic over. Chances are that there won't be any major problems caused by these flares, however it is good to be aware and keep an eye on these things.
I recommend checking out spaceweathernews.com, National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center or the SuspciousObservers youtube channel to learn more.