The sun is a tempestuous mistress - and her outbursts are becoming more and more violent as the weeks go on.

太陽(yáng)是一個(gè)暴躁的主婦——幾周以來(lái)她的爆發(fā)變得越來(lái)越猛烈。

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spotted the summer's first 'X' solar flare on Friday - a huge outburst from the sun right at the top of the scale.

NASA的太陽(yáng)動(dòng)態(tài)觀測(cè)衛(wèi)星周五觀測(cè)到夏季以來(lái)的第一場(chǎng)X級(jí)太陽(yáng)耀斑——這次大規(guī)模的爆發(fā)正處于太陽(yáng)的頂部。

This came on the back of 12 'M' flares in just six days, with a M6.1 flare knocking out radio signals across the planet on Thursday - hinting at the destruction the sun could reign on our technology if Earth takes a full blast across its blow.

這次耀斑爆發(fā)之前，僅六天里已經(jīng)爆發(fā)了12次M級(jí)的太陽(yáng)耀斑。并且周四，一個(gè)M6.1級(jí)耀斑使得無(wú)線電信號(hào)受到干擾。如果地球接收到一次全分量的太陽(yáng)耀斑，那么將對(duì)我們的科技造成毀滅性的打擊。

The sunspot group behind the flares - named as AR1515 - stretches across 118,681 miles (191,000km) of the sun's surface.

此次耀斑后面的太陽(yáng)黑子群被命名為AR1515——它在太陽(yáng)表面綿延了118,681 英里 (191,000km)。

This makes it's width more than 15 Earths set end to end, said NASA solar astrophysicist C. Alex Young.

這使得該黑子群的寬度比15個(gè)地球首尾相接的距離還要大，NASA的天體物理學(xué)家亞歷克斯.楊如是說(shuō)。

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NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory saw an active region on the sun, labeled AR1515, sent out an M5.3 class solar flare that peaked on Independence Day July 4th, 2012

NASA的太陽(yáng)動(dòng)態(tài)觀測(cè)衛(wèi)星觀測(cè)到太陽(yáng)的一個(gè)活躍區(qū)域，并將它標(biāo)識(shí)為AR1515，它在獨(dú)立日當(dāng)天2012/7/4日拋出峰值達(dá)到M5.3級(jí)的太陽(yáng)耀斑。

You can fit 15 Earths in there: The solar flare AR1515 in close-up

你可以將15個(gè)地球安放在那里：AR1515太陽(yáng)耀斑特寫(xiě)鏡頭

The biggest flares are known as 'X-class flares' based on a classification system that divides solar flares according to their strength.

最大級(jí)別的耀斑為X級(jí)耀斑，它基于這樣的一個(gè)分類(lèi)系統(tǒng)，即根據(jù)太陽(yáng)耀斑的強(qiáng)度來(lái)分類(lèi)。

The smallest ones are A-class, which are similar to normal background levels, followed by B, C, M and X.

最小級(jí)別為A級(jí)，它與正常背景水平相似，之后為B、C、M、X級(jí)。

Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy output, meaning an X is ten times an M and 100 times a C.

與描述地震的里氏震級(jí)類(lèi)似，每一個(gè)字母代表能量爆發(fā)增至上一級(jí)的10倍。也就是說(shuō)，X級(jí)耀斑的強(qiáng)度是M級(jí)的10倍，C級(jí)的100倍。

The sun is now heading into the peak of its 11-year solar flare cycle, with 2013 expected to the tumultuous year.

太陽(yáng)正在步入11年太陽(yáng)耀斑活動(dòng)周期的峰值，而2013年是其最為活躍的年份。

With the increased spread in communications in the last 11 years, a sever solar storm could cause huge issues for the planet.

由于過(guò)去11年里通訊不斷的拓寬，一場(chǎng)猛烈的太陽(yáng)風(fēng)暴將對(duì)地球造成巨大破壞。

This image, captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows the M5.3 class solar flare that peaked on July 4, 2012

這張圖片，由NASA的太陽(yáng)動(dòng)態(tài)觀測(cè)衛(wèi)星捕捉，它顯示了M5.3級(jí)太陽(yáng)風(fēng)暴在2012/7/4達(dá)到峰值的場(chǎng)景

SUMI'ss instruments are designed to study magnetic fields of the sun's chromosphere -- a thin layer of solar atmosphere sandwiched between the visible surface, photosphere and its atmosphere, the corona

SUMI望眼鏡被設(shè)計(jì)用來(lái)研究太陽(yáng)色球?qū)拥拇艌?chǎng)區(qū)域——色球?qū)邮翘?yáng)大氣層的一個(gè)薄層，它處于可見(jiàn)外層光球?qū)雍腿彰嶂g。

Radio blackouts occur when the X-rays or extreme UV light from a flare disturb the layer of Earth's atmosphere known as the ionosphere, through which radio waves travel.

當(dāng)太陽(yáng)耀斑帶來(lái)的X射線或極端紫外線干擾地球的電離層時(shí)，會(huì)造成無(wú)線電中斷，因?yàn)闊o(wú)線電波在電離層中傳播。

The constant changes in the ionosphere change the paths of the radio waves as they move, thus degrading the information they carry.

電離層的不斷變化改變了在其內(nèi)部傳播的無(wú)線電波的路徑，而無(wú)線電波承載的信息也減少了。

This affects both high and low frequency radio waves alike.

這種影響對(duì)于高低頻率無(wú)線電的影響是類(lèi)似的。

The same region has also produced numerous coronal mass ejections or CMEs. They have been observed and modeled by NASA's Space Weather Center (SWC) and are thought to be moving relatively slowly, traveling between 300 and 600 miles per second.

發(fā)生太陽(yáng)耀斑的區(qū)域也產(chǎn)生眾多的日冕物質(zhì)拋射。根據(jù)NASA的空間氣象中心（SWC）的觀測(cè)和模擬，日冕物質(zhì)拋射移動(dòng)相對(duì)緩慢，大概300~600英里/秒。

Since the active region itself is so southerly in the sun, CMEs from this region are generally unlikely

因?yàn)樵摶钴S區(qū)域位于太陽(yáng)相對(duì)很南面的位置，該區(qū)域的日冕物質(zhì)拋射不會(huì)

to impact Earth.

影響到地球。

The chromosphere is a narrow layer above the photosphere that raises in temperature with height. Normally, it can't be seen by the naked eye because the light from the photosphere of the Sun overpowers it. The coloring of the chromosphere (deep red) is caused by the immense hydrogen supply it contains

色球?qū)邮俏挥诠馇驅(qū)油鈧?cè)的薄層，溫度隨著高度的增加而升高。通常，裸眼不能看見(jiàn)色球?qū)?，因?yàn)楣馇驅(qū)拥墓饩€強(qiáng)度蓋過(guò)了它。色球?qū)樱ㄉ罴t色區(qū)域）的顏色是因?yàn)樗写罅康臍錃夤?yīng)。

Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an M5.6-class solar flare erupting from the sun's surface starting on July 2, from a huge sunspot called AR1515 in the sun's southern hemisphere.

NASA太陽(yáng)動(dòng)態(tài)觀測(cè)衛(wèi)星7/2日觀測(cè)到太陽(yáng)表面噴射出的M5.6級(jí)的太陽(yáng)耀斑，它來(lái)自太陽(yáng)南半球一個(gè)叫做AR1515的太陽(yáng)黑子。

The blast of particles - a 'coronal mass ejection' - was not directed towards Earth, but the charged particles caused brief radio interference across Europe.

伴隨耀斑出現(xiàn)的日冕物質(zhì)噴射雖然并不正對(duì)地球，但帶電粒子還是在短時(shí)間內(nèi)對(duì)歐洲的無(wú)線電通訊造成影響。

From a different spot, but on that same day, the sun unleashed a coronal mass ejection (CME) that began at 4:36 AM on Tuesday.

周二，7/2日，凌晨4：36，太陽(yáng)的另一個(gè)黑子開(kāi)始釋放出日冕物質(zhì)噴射。

Models from the NASA's Space Weather Center at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md, described the CME at traveling at nearly 700 miles per second, but do not show it heading toward Earth.

根據(jù)位于馬里蘭州格林貝爾特（Greenbelt）的NASA戈達(dá)德太空飛行中心的模型，該日冕物質(zhì)噴射以700英里/秒的速度運(yùn)動(dòng)，但是它沒(méi)有朝向地球運(yùn)動(dòng)。

Sunspots are darker than the surrounding area because they are slightly cooler, which makes them less luminous.

太陽(yáng)黑子比起周?chē)鷧^(qū)域顏色更深些，因?yàn)樗鼈儨囟壬缘?，這使得它們不那么光亮。

They are caused by the sun’s magnetic field becoming twisted – and it’s this twisting dynamic that can produce coronal mass ejections.

太陽(yáng)黑子是由太陽(yáng)磁場(chǎng)扭曲引起的，正式這種扭曲導(dǎo)致了日冕物質(zhì)噴射。

These contain billions of tons of gases bursting with X-rays and ultraviolet radiation.

日冕物質(zhì)噴射包含了數(shù)十億噸充滿(mǎn)大量X射線和紫外輻射的氣體。

They are mind-bogglingly hot – around 100,000,000C and the result of ionised solar particles becoming imprisoned by Earth’s magnetic field, exciting the gases in the atmosphere and emitting bursts of energy in the form of light.

這些氣體的溫度高達(dá)100,000,000攝氏度。如果電離的太陽(yáng)粒子被地球磁場(chǎng)捕獲，將激發(fā)大氣中的氣體，而能量將以光的形式釋放出來(lái)。

However, these particles can also cause magnetic storms, which in extreme cases have been known to disrupt satellites and electricity grids.

然而，這些粒子同樣能引起磁風(fēng)暴，磁風(fēng)暴帶來(lái)的已知最極端的事件是破壞了衛(wèi)星和電網(wǎng)。

In 1989, a CME was held responsible for leaving six million people in Quebec, Canada, without power.

在1989年，日冕物質(zhì)拋射導(dǎo)致加拿大魁北克電力中斷，600萬(wàn)人受到影響。

Solar activity runs in 11-year cycles, with the current one peaking in 2013, so more violent space weather is on the horizon.

太陽(yáng)活動(dòng)以11年為一個(gè)周期，將在2013年達(dá)到一個(gè)峰值，所以更劇烈的太空天氣即將來(lái)臨。

Dr Matthew Penn, of the National Solar Observatory in Arizona, said recently: 'Because the sun is becoming more active, it will have an impact on millions of people. Sunspots can cause the biggest and most damaging space storms that occur.

來(lái)自位于亞利桑那州國(guó)家太陽(yáng)天文臺(tái)的 Matthew Penn博士近期說(shuō)：“因?yàn)樘?yáng)變得更加活躍，它將對(duì)數(shù)千萬(wàn)的人們帶來(lái)影響。太陽(yáng)黑子能夠引起最大規(guī)模和最大破壞力的太陽(yáng)風(fēng)暴”

'During the next two years, we are expecting the number of sunspots visible on the sun to reach a maximum. We know that sunspots are the source of a lot of space weather and solar storms, so we expect a larger number of solar storms here at the Earth.’

“在接下來(lái)的兩年里，我們預(yù)計(jì)太陽(yáng)表面可見(jiàn)的太陽(yáng)黑子數(shù)量將達(dá)到最大值。我們知道太陽(yáng)黑子是許多空間天氣和太陽(yáng)風(fēng)暴的來(lái)源，所以我們將在地球看到更大數(shù)量的太陽(yáng)風(fēng)暴?！?/P>