A powerful X-class flare like that can create long lasting radiation storms, which can harm satellites and even give airline passengers, flying near the poles, small radiation doses. They cut-out at X17, and the flare was later estimated to be about X45. It was so powerful that it overloaded the sensors measuring it. The most powerful flare on record was in 2003, during the last solar maximum. Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher than 9. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts. C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth. Within each letter class, there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output. The smallest ones are B-class, followed by C, M and X, the largest. Flares are classified according to their strength. They're usually associated with active regions, often seen as sun spots, where the magnetic fields are strongest. Flares happen when the powerful magnetic fields in and around the sun reconnect.
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