Old News - Early March: Largest Solar Flare in 5 Years

On March 6th there was a giant solar flare, apparently the largest one in 5 years, creating 2 M-Class flares and one X-Class flare (AKA - Really big).

Solar flares are classified as A, B, C, M or X according to peak flux of 100 to 800 picometer X-rays near Earth (Yeah I don't know what that means either).  X-Class flares are big enough though that they can give people on airplanes small radiation doses if they are flying near the poles.  Pretty intense.

Aurora in Fairbanks

So  solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the sun surface, which is interpreted as a large energy release.  The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms in space.  Then these clouds reach Earth a day or two afterwards.

So why do I bring this up?  The aurora borealis, of course.  :) Auroras (AKA the Norther Lights) is caused by the collision of energetic charges particles with atoms high in the atmosphere.  Big solar flare = epic northern lights.

Seeing the northern lights is fairly rare in southern Alaska compared to Central Alaska.  So while giant flares such as this one to actually pose risks to Earth, it was good news regardless.  We had visibility down here for a couple days.  And the views were amazing.  :)  My photography does not do it justice.

"Look at the stars,

Look how they shine for you,

And everything you do."

-Coldplay