Giant sunspot AR3664 unleashes its largest solar flare yet, causing radio blackouts on Earth (video)

He left and did it again.

The colossal sunspot AR3664 has unleashed its most powerful solar flare yet, and Earth is once again in the line of fire.

The Asia, Eastern Europe and Eastern Africa.

Related: 4 large incoming solar bursts could supercharge the auroras this weekend

This morning’s X3.98 flare is not only AR3664’s largest solar flare to date, but also the fourth largest solar flare of this solar cycle, according to a solar physicist. keith strongThe publication of X.

X FLARE IN PROGRESS: Here we go again, active region 3664 just produced an This would be the fourth largest X-ray flare so far during this solar cycle. There were clearly ejecta to the north, showing that a CME was launched towards Earth pic.twitter.com/xLER0j21BzMay 10, 2024

Solar flares are eruptions of sunspots on the surface of our sun that emit intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. They are classified by size into letter groups, with class X flares being the most powerful. Then there are class M flares which are 10 times less powerful than class Class C and finally Class A flares are 10 times weaker than Class B and have without notable consequences on Earth. Within each class, the numbers 1 through 10 (and beyond for Class X flares) indicate the relative strength of a flare.

Radio blackouts

On the map showing areas affected by high frequency radio blackouts, the highest frequency radio blackouts are colored red and that region covers Asia, Eastern Europe and East Africa.

High-frequency radio blackouts were observed throughout Asia, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Africa shortly after the X-class solar flare. (Image credit: NOAA/SWPC)

Shortwave radio blackouts like those witnessed this morning in Asia, Eastern Europe and East Africa are common occurrences shortly after powerful solar flares due to strong pulses of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted during the event.

The radiation travels towards the Earth in the speed of light and ionizes (gives electric charge to) the top of earth atmosphere, creating a higher density environment for radio signals to navigate. (Note: These ionizing x-rays should not be confused with coronal mass ejections, or CME, by which plasma and magnetic fields arise from Sun. CMEs travel at slower speeds and often take several days to reach Earth).

In attempting to travel through that ionized layer, the radio waves cannot help but interact with the electrons that have now flooded their surroundings. By doing so, radio waves lose energy due to more frequent collisions with electrons. This can cause radio signals to be degraded or completely absorbed, depending on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

Incoming solar storms

This recent X-flare eruption was also accompanied by a CME, a large ejection of plasma and magnetic field from the sun.

“CME OF RECENT X FLARE CONFIRMED: Look at the bright region in the SW (AR3664). You’ll see the

RECENT FLARE X CME CONFIRMED: Note the bright region in the SW (AR3664). You will see the X flare go off and almost immediately a CME is launched. Meanwhile, a significant but slow eruption on the NW branch indicates that we have a very active area about to pass over the branch. pic.twitter.com/Np5ZOpEST7May 10, 2024

“A CME is now visible and most of it appears to be heading westward, but there is still likely a component directed toward Earth,” according to the Space Weather and Aurora website. SolarHam post on X.

This wouldn’t exactly be a surprise. AR3664, along with its explosive “cousin” AR366, which has since slid around the solar disk and beyond view from Earth, has been at the forefront of solar weather news this past week.

Just yesterday (May 9), NOAA’s SWPC issued a G4 level geomagnetic storm warning for this weekend. The predicted high geomagnetic activity is the result of several CMEs currently observed approaching Earth after several large solar flares a few days before.

Read more: 4 large incoming solar bursts could supercharge the auroras this weekend

There is an image of auroras on the left and information on this weekend's storm warning on the right.

Information on the May 11 geomagnetic storm warning, courtesy of NOAA. (Image credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC))

Greater solar activity

The incredibly active sun last week is a good indicator that we are approaching solar maximum, the peak period of solar activity during the roughly 11-year solar cycle.

Solar scientists are closely monitoring the Sun as it approaches solar maximum because such intense activity can affect our lives on Earth.

Energetic solar flares can significantly affect spacecraft, satellites and terrestrial technologies, travel at the speed of light and do not give much warning before attacking. That’s why numerous organizations, including NASA, NOAA, and the US Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA), are keeping a close eye on the sun. These organizations can send warnings to technology and infrastructure sectors vulnerable to solar flare activity so that appropriate precautions can be taken in the event of potentially damaging space weather.

“We cannot ignore space weatherbut we can take appropriate measures to protect ourselves,” says NASA.

But there is not nothing to worry; so-called “killer flares” do not exist. Although solar flares can significantly disrupt the technological world, they do not contain enough energy to cause lasting damage to the Earth itself.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, solar flares are not physically capable of destroying Earth,” says NASA.

St John Shopon

Us News Update

Giant sunspot AR3664 unleashes its largest solar flare yet, causing radio blackouts on Earth (video)