No, you’re not seeing double. The Sun just flung out two massive flares of radiation from opposite hemispheres at nearly the same exact moment, a sign that our host star is fast approaching a period of peak activity.
A strong geomagnetic storm will hit Earth tonight following a significant solar flare that occurred on Tuesday, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center reported today.
Radio emissions detected about 24,855 miles (40,000 kilometers) above a dark region on the Sun have aurora-like qualities, according to a team of astronomers that studied the emissions.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA/SDO
That massive ball of hot gas at the center of our solar system is responsible for keeping our planet nice and balmy, but its also the source of some huge astronomical disruptions. Earlier this week, two enormous solar flares erupted from the Sun, knocking out radio signals across the U.S.
A massive outburst from the Sun was felt across three worlds in a rare event that could help protect astronauts from harmful radiation during future missions.
NASA/SDO
NASA/SDO
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory