On the Occurrence of Different Classes of Solar Flares during the Solar Cycles 23 and 24

In this study we review the occurrence of different types (A, B, C, M, and X classes) of solar flares during different solar cycle phases from 1996 to 2019 covering the solar cycles 23 and 24. During this period, a total of 19,126 solar flares were observed regardless the class: 3548 flares in solar cycle 23 (SC23) and 15,668 flares in solar cycle 24 (SC24). Our findings show that the cycle 23 has observed the highest occurrences of M-class and X-class flares, whereas cycle 24 has pointed out a predominance of B-class and C-class flares throughout its different phases. The results indicate that the cycle 23 was magnetically more intense than cycle 24, leading to more powerful solar flares and more frequent geomagnetic storms, capable of generating significant electromagnetic emissions that can affect satellites and GPS signals. The decrease in intense solar flares during cycle 24 compared to cycle 23 reflects an evolution in solar activity patterns over time.