A rare astronomical event occurred recently when four solar flares erupted simultaneously from different points on the surface of the Sun. This phenomenon, known as a “quadruple” solar flare, has the potential to send a solar storm towards Earth in the coming days, as reported by Spaceweather.com.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory observed the tetrad eruption beginning at approximately 01:00 am EDT on Tuesday (April 23). Three of the flares originated from sunspots, while the fourth came from a magnetic filament—a large loop of plasma suspended over the solar surface between the dark patches.
The eruption sites were located hundreds of miles apart, covering about a third of the solar surface facing Earth. These concurrent blasts, referred to as sympathetic solar flares, are part of a single eruption caused by massive magnetic field loops connecting sunspots or filaments. When one erupts, the others follow suit quickly.
While sympathetic flares typically link two sunspots, varying in intensity from small outbursts to powerful X-class flares, this particular event involved twice as many flares as usual, making it a “super-sympathetic” flare. The exact magnitude of the blast resulting from the combined sunspots remains uncertain, but there is a possibility that debris, such as a coronal mass ejection (CME) consisting of plasma and radiation, could be directed towards Earth and potentially impact the planet in the near future.
This occurrence marks the third sympathetic solar flare of 2024, following events in January and March. Research conducted in 2022 suggests that sympathetic solar flares are more likely to happen during or around solar maximum, the most active phase of the Sun’s approximately 11-year solar cycle.
Through the analysis of nearly 40 years of solar flare data, some researchers believe that the explosive peak of solar activity may have begun earlier than predicted. If confirmed, the potential impact of the recent quadruple solar flare and its implications on Earth’s magnetic poles could provide valuable insights into the behavior of our closest star.