Sun

The Sun is still at it! Our star released another mid-level flare on Sept. 8, clocking in at M8.1. This is the sixth sizable flare from the same active region (AR 2673) since Sept. 4, including:

• M5.5 on Sept. 4
• X2.2 on Sept. 6
• X9.3 on Sept. 6 (this is the strongest flare recorded during the current solar cycle, which began in December 2008!)
• M7.3 on Sept. 7
• X1.3 on Sept. 7

X-class denotes the most intense flares, followed by M-class, while the smallest flares are labeled as A-class (near background levels) with two more levels in between. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each of the five levels of letters represents a 10-fold increase in energy output.

Check for updates here: https://go.nasa.gov/2gN4L26