Major X1.7-Class Solar Flare Erupts from the Sun - Strongest of 2013

The sun unleashed a colossal Mother's Day solar flare on Sunday (May 12) in what has become the most powerful solar eruption of the year.

The giant solar flare, which registered as one of the largest eruptions the sun can unleash, peaked Sunday night at 10:17 p.m. EDT (0217 GMT) and was captured on camera by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

It sparked an hour-long high-frequency radio blackout, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Sunday's solar flare registered as an X1.7-class sun eruption — the strongest type of solar flare the sun can fire off, according to the SWPC officials.


A close-up of an an X1.7-class solar flare on May 12, 2013 as seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

When aimed directly at Earth, X-class solar flares can pose a risk to astronauts and satellites in orbit, as well as interfere with communications and GPS signals on the ground.

They can also super-charge Earth's northern lights displays by bombarding the planet with solar particles, triggering awesome aurora light shows.

Philippines Mayon Volcano erupts suddenly killing climbers

One of the Philippines' most active volcanoes spewed huge rocks and ash, killing at least five climbers and trapping more than a dozen others near the crater in its first eruption in three years.

Rescue teams and helicopters were sent to Mayon volcano in the central Philippines to bring out the dead.

At least seven were injured from a group of about 20 mountaineers who were caught by surprise by the sudden eruption, Albay provincial governor Joey Salceda said.

Joey Salceda

Clouds have cleared over the volcano, which was quiet later in the morning.

The climbers who died were struck by huge rocks, guide Kenneth Jesalva told ABS-CBN TV network by mobile phone from a camp near the crater. They included a German, an Austrian and a Filipino.

The injured included foreigners and Filipino guides. Some were in a critical condition, said the chief of the national disaster agency (NDRRMC), Eduardo del Rosario.

Gen. Eduardo del Rosario

Mr Jesalva said he was in the group that spent the night on the picturesque mountain, known for its almost perfect cone, when the volcano rumbled back to life early in the morning and rocks "as big as a living room" came raining down on them. He rushed back to the base camp to call for help.

Renato Solidum

The head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Renato Solidum, said the eruption was normal for the restive Mayon, about 212 miles south east of Manila. It has erupted about 40 times during the last 400 years.

In 2010, thousands of residents moved to temporary shelters when the volcano ejected ash in an five-mile zone surrounding the crater.

Russian Plosky Tolbachik volcano erupts after 30 years

The Plosky Tolbachik volcano is continuing to erupt in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, sending plumes of gas and ash into the sky.

The Plosky Tolbachik volcano in East Russia, is one of 29 on the Kamchatka peninsular, and has been erupting since last November.

Officials have warned people to stay away, but the eruption has led to stunning images of lava flowing through snow.

It is not known how long the eruption will last but it is believed that the volcano had been dormant for 30 years.

NASA SDO Images: M-Class Solar Flare Erupts

An M-class flare erupted in active sunspot region 1093, peaking at 1824 UTC on August 7, 2010. The eruption hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory observed the flare.

The CME is not fully directed toward Earth, but some of the plasma cloud may glance the magnetosphere between August 9 and August 10, causing a geomagnetic disturbance and possible aurora.

Scientists classify solar flares according to their x-ray brightness in the wavelength range 1 to 8 Angstroms.

There are 3 categories: X-class flares are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms.

M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's polar regions.

Minor radiation storms sometimes follow M-class flares. Compared to X- and M-class, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences on Earth.