National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The solar flare was categorized as an X1.0-class flare, according to NASA. "X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.
An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. Flares that are classified X10 or stronger are considered unusually intense," NASA said in a Thursday news release.
The solar flare took place at about 11:35 a.m. ET on Thursday after it was observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, according to NASA.
FILE - An X1.0 class solar flare flashes in the center of the sun on Oct. 28, 2021. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171.