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<\/p>\nEach of the X-flares was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection. (Image credit: NOAA SWPC \/ LASCO)<\/p>\n
The first eruption, an X1.8-class flare, exploded from sunspot AR4274 and peaked at 12:34 p.m. EST (1734 GMT). It triggered a strong R3 radio blackout across much of North and South America. A few hours later, at 5:02 p.m. EST (2202 GMT), a second X.1.1-class flare erupted from a region still hidden beyond the sun<\/a>‘s southeastern limb, triggering another strong radio blackout across the North Pacific Ocean, New Zealand and parts of eastern Australia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both eruptions unleashed coronal mass ejections (CMEs<\/a>) \u2014 vast plumes of magnetized plasma \u2014 but early modelling shows neither is directed at Earth. However, the outer edges of these CMEs could interact with a fast stream of solar wind<\/a> later this week, sparking minor to moderate (G1-G2) geomagnetic storm conditions around Nov. 6-7, according to NOAA<\/a>. This possible uptick in activity is good news for aurora chasers, as geomagnetic storms can result in some particularly vibrant and dynamic aurora shows.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n What’s next? <\/p>\n Sunspot<\/a> AR4274 remains highly magnetically complex and is now turning to face Earth<\/a>, meaning any future eruptions could be more Earth-directed. NOAA is currently forecasting<\/a> a 65% chance of additional M-class flares and a 15% chance of X-class flares in the coming days. <\/p>\n But the activity hasn’t stopped there! Just this morning (Nov. 5), the same active region AR4274 produced another strong M7.4-class flare, peaking at 6:15 a.m. EST (1115 GMT). <\/p>\n What is an R3 radio blackout?<\/p>\n On NOAA’s five-level radio blackout scale<\/a> (R1-R5), an R3 event is classified as strong. It is capable of disrupting high-frequency radio communications and navigation signals for up to an hour on the sunlit side of Earth. These blackouts can often affect aviation and maritime communications. <\/p>\n Image 1 of 2<\/p>\n A solar flare is a sudden, intense burst of energy from the sun caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy in an active sunspot region. These outbursts send radiation and charged particles hurling into space and can disrupt communications on Earth if the flare erupts from an Earth-facing sunspot. <\/p>\n X-class solar flares<\/a> are the most powerful category<\/a> of flare. The number that follows the X indicates its strength, with each step representing a coupling in power, meaning an X2 flare is twice as strong as an X1.<\/p>\nThe X.1.8 solar flare caused radio blackouts across the Americas on Nov. 4. (Image credit: NOAA SWPC)The X.1.1 solar flare caused radio blackouts across the Pacific on Nov. 4.(Image credit: NOAA SWPC)What are X-class solar flares? <\/p>\n