A powerful solar flare of the highest magnitude class X occurred on the Sun on Friday at 12:52 pm GMT.
The Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Science reported the event on its website.
"The event is classified as X2.6, which means it is the fourth strongest event in the last five years, according to the catalogs...The likelihood of the outbreak impacting Earth is currently assessed as extremely low," the lab's statement read.
According to the laboratory, the event occurred on the periphery of the solar surface, away from the Sun-Earth axis. There is the possibility that high-speed charged particles emitted by the flare could affect spacecraft. However, the likelihood of magnetic storms and auroras occurring is below five percent.
The solar flare burst out from active zone 3576, where an earlier top-score flare of X3.3 was detected a couple of days earlier. That was the first time one region of the sun generated two higher-powered outbursts within a solar cycle.
The most powerful flare recorded in 5 years remains the New Year's event on January 1, 2024, reaching an X5.0 intensity.
Solar flares are classified into five grades: A, B, C, M, and X, according to the intensity of their X-ray emission.
Researchers had earlier recorded a rise in the frequency and intensity of solar flares, indicating that the Sun is steadily nearing its height of activity. That peak is expected as soon as mid-year, though some predictions suggest it may be delayed until 2025.
Solar flares can cause magnetic storms on our planet, disrupting energy infrastructure and altering the migratory paths of bird and animal species.