The largest emission of radiation by the sun in 15 years called a Solar Flare could disrupt mobile telephone communications as well as television and radio reception, scientists said on Friday, January 22nd 2005.

Large solar flares were unleashed when energy stored in magnetic fields above sunspots was suddenly released, according to the scientists at Britain's Royal Astronomical Society.

The effects of the solar flares were seen at different points on earth, including brilliant auroras over parts of Britain on Friday night.

Peter Bond, spokesman for the Royal Astronomical Society said:

Flares can affect short-wave communications and satellites in the earth's orbit which could mean problems for phones, television and radio signals.

The flares have caused a huge amount of geo-magnetic activity as the magnetic field takes a while to settle.

It was the largest radiation storm since October 1989, according to experts.

NASA describes solar flares as:

Solar flares are tremendous explosions on the surface of the Sun.

In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons of TNT.

They occur near sunspots, usually along the dividing line (neutral line) between areas of oppositely directed magnetic fields.

Flares release energy in many forms - electro-magnetic (Gamma rays and X-rays), energetic particles (protons and electrons), and mass flows.

Flares are characterized by their brightness in X-rays (X-Ray flux).

The biggest flares are X-Class flares.

M-Class flares have a tenth the energy and C-Class flares have a tenth of the X-ray flux seen in M-Class flares.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors the X-Ray flux from the Sun with detectors on some of its satellites.

Observations for the last few days are available at NOAA's website for Today's Space Weather at:

Last week, the American Astronomical Society brought together some 2,500 astronomers from around the world to discuss the latest discoveries from the depths of space.

Nature reporter, Mark Peplow, previously a science information officer at the Royal Institution's Science Media Centre, covered the conference.

Peplow reported from San Diego on black holes, quasars, and the quest to see back in time to the very beginnings of our Universe. However, no mention of radiation storms or solar flares were made. Nonetheless, those interested in space, The Chromatics' a capella group and UltraLightweight telescopes may enjoy Mr. Peplow's observations at:

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