Scientists have now record six huge solar flares from the Active Region 2673 section of the sun’s surface in the last week, an astonishing level of activity that hasn’t been seen in years. Two of the flares were in the X-class category, including one huge X9.3 solar flare, the largest in the last 12 years.

Scientists class solar flares on three levels, with the C being the weakest, followed by the M which is 10 times stronger, and the X, which is 10 times stronger than the M. These solar flares will blast out huge amounts of energy in what are call coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can knock out power grids and disrupt satellites orbiting Earth.

Solar flares also interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, producing amazing geomagnetic storms called the northern and southern lights.

“The sun emitted one mid-level solar flare on Sept. 8, 2017. The flare peaked at 3:49 a.m. EDT. This is the sixth sizable flare from the same active region since Sept. 4,” NASA said on their website. “NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M8.1 solar flare – as seen in the bright area on the right – on Sept. 8, 2017. The flare is classified as an M8.1 flare. M-class flares are a tenth the size of the most intense flares, the X-class flares. The number provides more information about its strength. An M2 is twice as intense as an M1, an M3 is three times as intense, etc.

“The sun emitted two mid-level solar flares on Sept. 7, 2017. The first peaked at 6:15 a.m. EDT. The second, larger flare, peaked at 10:36 a.m. EDT. These are the fourth and fifth sizable flares from the same active region since Sept. 4.”