QUB has flare for solar research

THE largest solar flare in more than 12 years has been captured by experts from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Sheffield.

The huge radiation burst – the eighth largest since records began in 1996 – is not harmful to humans due to the Earth’s protective atmosphere and distance from the sun, occurred unexpectedly last Wednesday.

Known as Space Weather, they can disrupt satellites and GPS signals.

Queen’s research fellow Dr Aaron Reid said: “These observations can tell us how and why these flares formed so we can better predict them in future.”

STAR TURN Solar flares were among biggest ever recorded

EXPLOSION Solar flares can disrupt GPS signals