A powerful M2-class solar flare — the most intense recorded in the past one and a half months — was observed on the Sun, according to the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the Institute of Space Research (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
The flare, detected on August 3, marks the strongest solar activity since June 20, when an X1.9-class eruption occurred around 3:00 AM Moscow time, the institute reported.
In the last three days alone, 35 solar flares have been observed, although none reached the M-class intensity until now, Gazeta.ru noted.
Scientists stated that there is currently no indication of solar matter being ejected directly toward Earth. However, the flare’s origin point is nearly aligned with the Sun-Earth axis — a position that maximizes potential impact if further eruptions occur.
Earlier, on June 18, the IKI RAS had reported an X-class flare — the most powerful classification — from the same solar active region that produced significant flares on June 15 and 16. Prior to that, the most intense solar activity was recorded on May 25.