The planet Mercury, closest to the Sun, was hit by a solar flare that triggered X-ray auroras on the planet, the news agency reported. portal Spaceweather.com.
Recently, a flare approximately 40 times the size of the Earth occurred on the hidden far side of the Sun. The explosion, which likely left behind a large “canyon of fire” on the Sun’s surface, also reportedly caused a large coronal mass ejection (CME), a fast-moving cloud of magnetized plasma and radiation, that collided with Mercury.
Mercury is often hit by CMEs due to its proximity to the star. As a result of this bombardment, the small planet has no atmosphere left and is completely exposed to the full force of these solar storms.
Electrons from the CME slow down rapidly as they hit Mercury’s exposed surface. This causes the particles to release energy in the form of X-rays, which scientists can detect from Earth. The result is an aurora-like phenomenon that can be seen in X-rays rather than visible light.
Earlier astronomers was recorded powerful solar flare.
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Source: Gazeta
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