Päikesepurked

Päikesepurked, also known as solar flares, are sudden, intense bursts of radiation emerging from the Sun's surface. These events are caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy that has been built up in the Sun's atmosphere. During a solar flare, a tremendous amount of energy is released in the form of electromagnetic radiation, including X-rays, ultraviolet rays, and visible light. The charged particles associated with flares can also be ejected, traveling at high speeds into space.

The intensity of solar flares is categorized using a system based on their X-ray output. The classes are A, B, C, M, and X, with X-class flares being the most powerful. Each class is ten times more powerful than the preceding one, and within each class, there is a numerical sub-classification from 1 to 9. For example, an X2 flare is twice as powerful as an X1 flare.

While solar flares themselves are primarily electromagnetic radiation and pose little direct threat to humans on Earth due to the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field, they can have significant effects. Flares can disrupt radio communications, GPS navigation systems, and power grids. The charged particles associated with flares, especially when they combine with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can also cause geomagnetic storms. These storms can lead to auroras visible at lower latitudes than usual and can damage satellites in orbit.