NASA observatory captures strong X-Class solar flare

A strong solar flare was emitted by the Sun on Saturday, April 30, 2022. An image of the event was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) which keeps an eye on solar activity, the agency said on Monday.

The solar flare was intense - classified as an X-class flare, which denotes the most intense flares. It peaked at 9:47 a.m. EDT. The image shared by NASA (see above) shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in red.

Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun that can last from minutes to hours. They can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on April 30, 2022, peaking at 9:47 a.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as an X-class flare. https://t.co/wU5TiZiKHz pic.twitter.com/rYh7GYiUC5

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) May 2, 2022

NASA's SDO watches the Sun continuously and has greatly contributed to the scientific community's understanding of the closest star. The observatory hosts three scientific experiments: Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), EUV Variability Experiment (EVE), Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI).