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Sunday 17 December 2023

Biggest solar flare in years temporarily disrupts radio signals on Earth

On Thursday, there was a massive radio burst emitted by the sun alongside an enormous flare that caused two hours of radio interference in areas of the U.S. and other parts worldwide with adequate sunlight. According to researchers at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this is regarded as the most significant flare since 2017; meanwhile, it's substantial following extensive disturbance on higher frequencies due to its far-reaching effect.

According to Shawn Dahl, an expert at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, the fusion produced an enormous solar radio occurrence that ranks among the most significant ever documented.

The space weather forecasting center has reported communication disruptions experienced by numerous pilots, which have had a nationwide impact. As such, the scientists are keeping tabs on this sunspot region and investigating any potential coronal mass ejections - an explosive release of plasma from the Sun. This could give rise to geomagnetic storms that may affect high-frequency radio signals in higher latitudes whilst triggering northern lights or auroras over time, as stated by Dahl.

A massive outburst took place in the extremely remote and northwestern quadrant of the sun. It was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory through an extreme ultraviolet spectrum, which registered a colossal burst of energy as an immensely luminescent flash. The satellite has been orbiting Earth at great heights since its launch in 2010 with a primary objective to vigilantly observe fluctuations within our celestial star.

Sunspot activity is expected to reach its highest point in 2025 as the sun approaches the climax of its approximately 11-year solar cycle.

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