Solar Flare January 27, 2012

On January 27, at 12:12 am (CST) according to NASA (www.nasa.gov to view video) a solar flare occurred and it peaked at 12:37 am (CST).  The flare caused a strong radio black out at low frequencies when it burst rated R3 on a scale of R1-R5.  Flares are rated 1-5 just like tornados and depending on strength given their rating.  The solar flare that occured on Jan 27 got rated R3 at initial burst, but then went to a lower rating of R1. 

Without NASA's technology and advanced sun filming capablilties, no one would even know when a solar flares occurs.  Solar flares are an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. They are our solar system’s largest explosive events and can last from minutes to hours. 

12:12 am (CST) here in the states was 12:12 pm January 28th, in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh, but even they would not have noticed or seen the solar flare.  Without NASA we would be completely unaware that solar flares ever occured.  We would just experience the cellar and radio frequency nuisances during our busied lives of which we would be quick to blame the carrier of these devices rather than say "Dang, I just lost my cell connection because of a solar flare!"