Solar flare 2021: NASA warns solar storm could cause connectivity problems in Sheffield this Halloween
and live on Freeview channel 276
Space agency NASA spotted the solar flare, which creates a huge burst of radiation, on Thursday. It sent radiation speeding towards Earth’s magnetic field at 3.3 million mph.
The NASA website reported: “Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis flare is classified as an X1-class flare, part of the most powerful group but an X-1 is the smallest.
It caused a radio blackout in South America.
Dr Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, said on Twitter: "A direct hit for Halloween! The solar storm launched during the X-flare today is indeed Earth-directed!
"NASA predictions confirm impact by early October 31.”