A Massive Solar Flare Temporarily Interrupts Earth’s Radio Communications
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, USA (AP) — A NASA telescope has captured the largest solar flare in recent years which temporarily interrupted radio communications on earth.
The Sun spit out the huge flare along with radio waves on Thursday, causing two hours of radio interference in parts of the United States and other places around the world that at that time were illuminated by the Sun. Scientists from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it was the largest flare since 2017, and that the burst of radio waves was extensive, affecting even the highest frequencies.
On the heels of what was likely one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded yesterday, scientists at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center have detected multiple Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and have issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch. The G1-G2 (Minor – Moderate) storm… pic.twitter.com/4tTWRIUYDu
— National Weather Service (@NWS) December 15, 2023
The combination gave rise to one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded, according to Shawn Dahl of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Several pilots reported communications interruptions, and the impact was felt across the country, according to the Space Weather Forecast Center. Scientists are now monitoring this sunspot region and analyzing the possibility of a plasma emission from the Sun, also known as a coronal mass ejection, that could be directed towards Earth. This could lead to a geomagnetic storm, Dahl said, which in turn could disrupt high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes and trigger northern lights in the next few days.
The eruption occurred in the northwest corner of the Sun. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the action in extreme ultraviolet light, registering the powerful surge of energy as a huge, bright flash. Launched in 2010, the spacecraft is in an extremely high orbit around the Earth, from where it constantly monitors the Sun.
The Sun is approaching the highest point of its solar cycle of about 11 years. Maximum sunspot activity is expected in 2025.