Increased Solar Activity to Persist Throughout the Week After 2 Powerful Flares

On August 5th, the sun exhibited significant solar activity with the reporting of two intense X-class solar flares. NASA documented the first flare at 9:40 a.m. ET (1340 GMT), this X1.7 class solar flare erupted from the sunspot identified as AR3767. Shortly thereafter, at 11:27 a.m. ET (1527 GMT), a second solar flare of X1.1 class erupted from sunspot AR3780. This is prepared by SSP.

X-class solar flares are identified as the most potent type of solar activity. The number following the "X" denotes the flare's strength. According to NASA, X1.1 class and X1.7 class flares both signal high-intensity solar phenomena.

Solar flares are often linked with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), massive blasts of solar plasma that can lead to geomagnetic storms on Earth. These storms have the potential to disturb power grids but can also enliven auroras, making them visible in more southern areas than usual. A G3 geomagnetic storm on August 4, caused by prior solar activities, enhanced the visibility of the northern lights across parts of the U.S. West Coast.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mentioned that the CME impact from the first solar flare is improbable due to the flare's location on the sun’s western limb, away from Earth. The CME impact from the second flare is under evaluation pending further coronagraph imagery.

NASA and NOAA both forecast continuous solar flaring throughout the week, contributed by three active sunspots – AR3772, AR374, and AR3780 – that are currently traversing the Earth's view of the solar disk. Given the enduring situation, there's an increased probability of geomagnetic storms, potentially resulting in further auroral displays.