MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Paul Rincon, BBC News – “The Sun has unleashed four colossal bursts of radiation in 48 hours.

On Tuesday, it released the biggest solar flare of 2013 so far, an intense burst associated with a huge eruption of particles.

When these eruptions reach Earth, they can interfere with satellites and communications systems on the ground.

The sunspots that spawned these flares are not directly facing our planet, but some Nasa spacecraft could be in the path of the solar particles.

Increased numbers of flares are expected at the moment because the Sun’s normal 11-year activity cycle is approaching its peak – known as a solar maximum – this year.

Dr Robert Massey, from the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC: “What’s interesting about these events is that you have them in quick succession.

‘It really does say that we’re approaching this 11-year peak. We can’t say exactly when it’s going to happen, you can only work it out retrospectively.'” Read more.