A massive solar flare was detected erupting from the sun on early Monday morning, said China's National Center for Space Weather (NCSW).

The solar flare, peaking at 5:55 a.m. Beijing Time, was classified as X5.0 level, and had little impact on the ionosphere over China, said the NCSW.

Solar flares are intense burst of radiation or light on the sun, which "happen when the powerful magnetic fields in and around the sun reconnect," according to NASA.

They are rated based on their strength, with B-class the smallest, followed by C, M and X the most potent. "Each letter represents a tenfold increase in energy output. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C," said NASA.

It said that flares at C-class "are too weak to noticeably affect Earth," and M-class ones may lead to brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms, while X-class flares can create long lasting radiation storms.

However, X-class flares are not a catastrophic concept, Zhang Peijin, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, told China Media Group.

X-class flares are common in high solar activity years. "If an X-class flare occurs entirely at the far side of the sun without facing Earth, its impact on Earth would be minimal," said Zhang.

"In the next three days, solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels, with a chance for M-class flare," said the NCSW, adding that it will closely monitor the development and release early warning information in a timely manner.