The Sun broke a week-long lull: an M1.2 class flare recorded for the first time since May 22

For the first time in seven days, a powerful flare has been registered on the Sun. As TASS reported from the Institute of Applied Geophysics, on May 29 at 10:22 Moscow time, an M1.2 class flare lasting 24 minutes occurred in the X-ray range in sunspot group 4455.

The last time an event of this magnitude was recorded was on May 22 – then the flare reached M2.4 and was accompanied by an ejection of solar plasma towards Earth.

The current flare belongs to the second-to-last power class on a five-point scale, where the minimum class A0.0 corresponds to a radiation power in Earth's orbit of 10 nanowatts per square meter. When moving to the next letter, the power increases tenfold.

Flares of this level can be accompanied by ejections of solar plasma, whose clouds, reaching Earth, provoke magnetic storms. The seven-day lull has been broken – the activity of the star is increasing again.