2023-12-15 21:25:07
(Cape Canaveral) A NASA geostationary telescope recorded the largest solar flare seen in years, temporarily disrupting radio communications on Earth.
Posted at 4:25 p.m.
Marcia Dunn
Associated Press
The Sun spewed out a gigantic flare, accompanied by a huge radio burst, on Thursday, causing two hours of radio interference in parts of the United States and other sunny parts of the world.
Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it was the largest solar flare since 2017. The resulting radio burst was broad across the spectrum, even affecting frequencies the highest, indicates NOAA.
The combination resulted in one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded, Shawn Dahl of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday.
Several aircraft pilots reported communications disruptions, with consequences felt across the country, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Scientists are currently monitoring this sunspot region and analyzing a possible explosion of plasma from the Sun, also known as a “coronal mass ejection,” that might be directed toward Earth. Such an explosion might lead to a magnetic storm, Dahl said, which might in turn, in the coming days, disrupt high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes and trigger the northern lights.
The solar flare occurred in the far northwest part of the Sun. The Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched into orbit by NASA in 2010, captured the phenomenon under extreme ultraviolet light, recording the powerful burst of energy as a huge flash of light.
The spacecraft, which is in a very high orbit around Earth, constantly monitors the Sun.
Our star is nearing the peak of its approximately 11-year solar cycle. Peak sunspot activity is predicted for 2025.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all editorial content.
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