Scientists Detect Strong Solar Flare

The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences announced the observation of a strong solar flare. Regarding the matter, the head of the solar astronomy laboratory at the institute, Sergey Bogachev, stated: "Scientists managed to observe a strong solar flare on the morning of Wednesday, May 8, which generated a large cloud of plasma during the flare, reaching level X1 around 8:00 AM Moscow time. The movement of the flare towards Earth is currently being monitored, and its initial effects are expected to reach our planet on Saturday, May 11." Bogachev noted that "preliminary forecasts indicate that the geomagnetic storms expected to impact Earth over the weekend will reach intensities of G2 or G3." The Space Research Institute had previously announced the observation of two strong solar flares last Sunday, one of which was classified as category X, and several strong solar flares were observed last month. Solar flares can cause geomagnetic storms that affect Earth, leading to disruptions in power systems and impacting the migratory patterns of birds and animals. Additionally, strong geomagnetic storms can affect communications and navigation systems.