Wednesday 16 February 2011

Solar flare

The Sun has unleashed its strongest flare in four years, according to observers.

Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft recorded an intense flash of extreme ultraviolet radiation coming from a sunspot.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has issued a geomagnetic storm warning, and says aurorae may be visible from the northern UK.

The eruptions are expected to hit the Earth's magnetic field field over the next couple of days, causing an increase in geomagnetic activity.