NASA handout image shows the Sun acquired by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory on March 8, 2012. A strong geomagnetic storm from the Sun hit the Earth on Thursday. It was expected that the solar storm might disrupt flights, satellites and might cause power disruptions. But the storm, arrived at mild levels and did not cause cause much harm.REUTERS/SOHO/
NASA handout image shows the Sun acquired by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory on March 8, 2012. A strong geomagnetic storm from the Sun hit the Earth on Thursday. It was expected that the solar storm might disrupt flights, satellites and might cause power disruptions. But the storm, arrived at mild levels and did not cause cause much harm.REUTERS/SOHO/NASA handout image shows the Sun acquired by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on March 8, 2012REUTERS/SDOThis is a handout image of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that shows the Sun's activity on March 8, 2012.REUTERS/NOAAThe sun erupts with one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle in this NASA handout photo taken on March 6, 2012. This flare was categorized as an X5.4, making it the second largest flare -- after an X6.9 on August 9, 2011 -- since the sun's activity segued into a period of relatively low activity called solar minimum in early 2007. The current increase in the number of X-class flares is part of the sun's normal 11-year solar cycle, during which activity on the sun ramps up to solar maximum, which is expected to peak in late 2013.REUTERS/NASA/SD0The sun erupts with one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle in this multi-colored NASA handout photo taken on March 6, 2012.REUTERS/NASA/The Solar Dynamics Observatory captures an M8.7 class flare in a handout photo released by NASA January 23, 2012. The flare is shown here in teal as that is the color typically used to show light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, a wavelength in which it is easy to view solar flares. The flare began at 10:38 PM ET on January 22, 2012, peaked at 10:59 PM and ended at 11:34 PM.REUTERS/NASA/SDO
One of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle that hit the earth on early Thursday, biggest since 2004, did not cause any damage.
The solar storm, which was forecast to be strong, was expected to disrupt power, satellites and GPS systems. The solar flares arrived on Thursday morning at mild levels at the bottom of the government's 1-5 scale of severity. But early Friday, the storm strengthened to a level 3 for several hours as it neared its end. Scientists say that is because the magnetic part of the storm flipped direction, reported Associated Press.
According to scientists, there could be five or six solar storms in the coming months, as the Sun enters the most active stage of its 11-year-cycle, a Telegraph report said.
There could be another "five or six" major incidents in the coming months, where the sun emits massive amounts of matter, the Telegraph quoted space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock as saying.
Click start to check out stunning images of the solar flares here:
