The largest solar flare in 6 years since 2017 was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on December 15.
Observatory officials reported that the flare was in the northwestern region of the Sun’s surface and detected high levels of ultraviolet light and a burst of energy.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement that the explosion caused a large flare, which was large enough to affect higher frequencies.
The statement noted that many of the pilots reported disruptions in communication lines and that the effects of the solar flare were felt throughout the country.
Shawn Dahl of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said in a statement that the explosion temporarily disabled radio communications.
Dahl noted that the explosion could cause a geomagnetic hurricane, which could negatively affect high-frequency radio signals and trigger the formation of the northern lights in the coming days.
Scientists monitoring sunspots for a possible plasma blast that could reach Earth predict that activity in these regions will reach a record high in 2025.
