Biggest solar flare in years temporarily disrupts radio signals on Earth

The most significant solar flare in several years has been observed by a NASA telescope, resulting in a temporary disruption of radio communications on Earth.

On Thursday, the sun emitted an enormous solar flare accompanied by a substantial radio burst, which led to a two-hour period of radio interference in various regions of the United States and other sunlit areas worldwide. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have indicated that this event marked the largest solar flare occurrence since 2017, and the radio burst was so substantial that it affected even the higher radio frequencies.

Shawn Dahl from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center referred to this combination as one of the most extensive solar radio events ever documented. Reports from multiple pilots confirmed communication disruptions that were experienced across the country, according to the space weather forecasting center. Currently, scientists are closely monitoring the sunspot region and assessing the possibility of a solar plasma eruption, also known as a coronal mass ejection, directed towards Earth. Such an event could potentially lead to a geomagnetic storm, which, in turn, may disrupt high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes and trigger the appearance of northern lights or auroras in the coming days.

This solar eruption occurred in the far northwest region of the sun, and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the event in extreme ultraviolet light, recording the powerful surge of energy as a dazzling and substantial flash. Launched in 2010, this spacecraft is positioned in an exceptionally high orbit around Earth, enabling continuous monitoring of the sun’s activities.

It is important to note that the sun is approaching the peak of its approximately 11-year solar cycle, with maximum sunspot activity predicted for the year 2025.

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More about Solar Flare Disruption

• NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Sunspot Activity and Solar Cycles
• Geomagnetic Storms and their Effects
• Solar Flare and Radio Interference
• Solar Flare Monitoring and Forecasting