NASA: Solar Flares only Small Impact

A flare erupted from the sun and solar system was captured by NASA's impressive camera. But scientists say, medium-sized events would only have little impact, if any, on the earth.

As reported by Sky News, Thursday (9 / 6), flare peaked initially on Tuesday and created a large cloud which appears to cover almost half the surface of the sun. A cloud of charged particles erupting from the outer solar atmosphere and is expected to pass through the earth on Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

According to estimates Center Space Weather at the National Weather Service, this event causes only minor disruption to Earth's magnetic field. "This is not including large natural events," said Michael Hesse, chief of space weather laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

"The events of this nature truly spectacular to watch, but not so great in terms of endangering the earth," said Hesse.

At least, cloud that erupted from the sun that can cause a brief interruption to the high frequency radio communications, especially closer to the North and South poles, said Joe Kunches, space scientist at SWPC. Some global positioning devices will also experience a small problem.

"It is also not directly hit the earth. Aurora borealis may also be seen more clearly on Thursday or Friday night," said Kunches.

Pictures of the eruption of flares were successfully recorded by the satellite's orbit called the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The photos and video has become the most spectacular ever captured by the satellite since its launch last year. Much larger solar flare is predicted to erupt on Saturday, but NASA will not be able to capture images due to solar time this happens on the opposite side of the sun from the earth.

Scientists have long expected an increase in solar activity, because the sun is now moving into a more stable period of a cycle of 11 years in which the magnetic field reverses orientation. "The sun has awakened and become more active until we approach solar maximum, which is expected to occur in 2013," said Hesse.