The sun roared to life early Tuesday (May 14), unleashing a powerful X-class solar flare from a newly emerging sunspot region AR4087. The eruption peaked at 4:25 a.m. EDT (0825 GMT), triggering strong R3-level radio blackouts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East — the sunlit side of Earth at the time — as sunspot region 2087 crackles with activity.It would be great to see some auroras again!
Solar flares of this magnitude are uncommon, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Solar flares are ranked by strength in five classes: A, B, C, M and X, with each step representing a tenfold increase in energy. The recent X flare clocked in at X2.7, placing it at the lower end of the most powerful solar flare class.
The eruption sent a blast of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation hurling toward Earth at the speed of light, rapidly ionizing the upper atmosphere. This sudden change disrupted high-frequency radio signals, leading to communication dropouts for some radio operators across affected regions.
There may have been an associated coronal mass ejection (CME) — massive plumes of solar plasma and magnetic field accompanying the X-flare, though it is yet to be confirmed. CMEs can spark geomagnetic storms and vibrant auroras if they collide with Earth's magnetic field. But with AR4087 still near the sun's edge, our planet is out of the line of fire. For now. That may change soon as AR4087 is rotating toward Earth and has already fired off multiple solar flares.
Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Country Girl in Carhartts up on time and under budget.
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