NASA sees sun emit a mid-level flare
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - 16:00
in Astronomy & Space
On Nov. 13, 2012, the sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 9:04 pm EST. This flare is classified as an M6 flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. They can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles. This M-class flare caused a radio blackout categorized according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Space Weather Scales as R2 -- or "moderate" -- on a scale of R1 to R5. It has since subsided.