Nov. 11 (UPI) — Scientists said the sun erupted Tuesday morning, unleashing a strong X5.1-class flare in an intense outburst, causing communications disruptions.
It was the year’s strongest solar flare.
Scientists said the flare peaked around 5 a.m. EST, creating the most intense outburst since October 2024.
The solar flare triggered radio blackouts on the African and European continents and disrupted high-frequency communication on Earth’s sunlit part.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its coronal mass ejection was “quite energetic” and the “fastest” CME observed so far from the sunspot group region.
NOAA said forecasters were “evaluating the situation and will make any needed geomagnetic storm watch adjustments soon” with two other CMEs anticipated to affect Earth overnight.
It was the latest in a series of other large flares that took place Sunday and Monday.
Forecasters at NOAA were evaluating the sun’s activity and could increase the threat level according to the Space Weather Scales. There is current a G3 watch in effect, which means there’s a strong chance a geomagnetic storm could disrupt Earth’s magnetic field and affect communications.
If NOAA raises the watch level to a G4, there’s a greater chance of widespread problems with electrical, communications and spacecraft operations on Earth. The highest watch level is G5.
Meanwhile, forecasters were evaluating the ongoing situation and could raise the current G3 watch to G4 or higher, NOAA added.
In December 2023, a large solar flare, the biggest since 2017, likewise disrupted radio communication for 2 hours on Earth.
At the time it was “likely one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded,” according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center.
The sun’s corona and solar flares appear during totality of the eclipse on April 8, 2024, in Indianapolis. Photo by Edwin Locke/UPI | License Photo