The sun released two powerful X2.5 solar flares within a seven-hour period, marking the strongest solar activity in 78 days. Both explosions originated from AR4419, an unstable sunspot region currently located on the Sun’s western edge. The first solar flare peaked on April 23 at 9:07 pm EDT, followed by the second on April 24 at 4:14 am EDT.
According to solar physicist Ryan French, these are the most intense flares seen in 78 days. The radiation bursts caused intense radio blackouts in sunlit parts of the Earth; The first affected parts of the Pacific Ocean and Australia, while the second significantly impacted East Asia.
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According to forecasters, modeling of the paths is still underway, and a side shock is possible. Such phenomena give rise to geomagnetic storms and spark vivid auroras.
Solar Flares: Everything You Need to Know
Solar flares are powerful explosions from the Sun that result in bright chromospheric explosions, producing intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation, including X-rays and ultraviolet light, at nearly the speed of light. When radiation from a solar flare hits Earth, it ionizes the ionosphere.
Under normal circumstances, long-range radio signals travel by bouncing off the upper layers of the ionosphere. This causes the radio waves to lose energy due to the interactions of the particles, weakening the signal and ultimately resulting in a shortwave radio blackout.
