The giant solar explosions of energy and light aren't over yet. Officials said on Tuesday that the sun just emitted another major solar flare – and that it's the strongest one so far in the current solar cycle. The latest flare peaked just before 1 p.m. ET, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said, with an X-class rating of X8.7.
7 and X1.2 – also erupted shortly before, although they were also not anticipated to be linked to any major impacts on Earth.Despite the intensity of the flare, officials said there is not yet concern of a coronal mass ejection, or large burst of solar plasma and magnetic field.