North America Suffers Radio Blackout After a Big X-Flare on Tuesday

The Sun has continued to release powerful solar flares. A huge X-flare erupted on Tuesday, resulting in a radio blackout in North America.

Big X-Flare Results In Radio Blackout Level 3

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported power disruptions throughout North America at approximately 12:51 p.m. ET. Classified as an X8.8, this solar flare was the strongest of the cycle that began in 2017. According to NOAA, it was a radio blackout level 3 (R3) on a scale of one to five.

The sunspot that has been pounding our globe for the past few days is the same size as the one that produced the greatest solar storm in recorded history.

"As for the big X-flare, it's the biggest of the cycle thus far," said space weather physicist Dr Tamitha Skov. "It would have been our first R4-level radio blackout, but it was partially blocked by the Sun."

We can no longer even see the flare-firing zone because it is primarily hidden beneath the Sun's west limb. Midway through December 2016, the current solar cycle began.

The solar maximum phase is currently underway. Determining whether we have reached the solar maximum or not is a challenging task, per Skov. He believed the cycle would have two peaks similar to the previous one. However, only time will tell.

AR 3664 turned out of Earth's view on Tuesday, but not before sending off one more explosion. Our planet might also be struck by subatomic debris from the flare, which would cascade across the surface and consist of protons and electrons.

The particles can interfere with ground power grids, pose radiation hazards for astronauts, and disrupt satellite communications. NOAA already said there was a 60% probability that it would occur on Tuesday.

The magnetic field that spirals out of the Sun and into our solar system directs the occurrence, known as a radiation storm. The Parker Spiral is a spiral formed when the magnetic fields that emerge from the Sun bend as they pass by the planets in its orbit as it revolves. These spirals can trap charged particles from solar flares, which causes them to spiral back toward Earth when they would have otherwise missed it.

The flare on Tuesday comes after many days of solar activity that might have produced the worst solar storm in 165 years, according to NOAA.

For the first time in 20 years, the agency issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch late on Thursday.

ALSO READ : Most Powerful Geomagnetic Storm in Years Led to Auroras Lighting the Sky Across the Globe

Sunspot Region AR3664 Has Grown

AR3664 is a massive sunspot area, and it has expanded over the last few days to approximately 124,300 miles (200,000 kilometers) in width, or more than 15 times the diameter of the Earth, have been added to the sunspot region AR3664. This amazing evolution is seen in a recent time-lapse video with imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft.

Moreover, large and active AR3664 is still spiking powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), some of which could hit Earth this weekend and amplify aurora activity. Aurora Borealis sightings have been reported from all over the world. More south than usual, the United States, New Zealand, and Europe all had stunning, colorful lights filling the skies.

Moreover, large and active AR3664 is still spiking powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), some of which could hit Earth this weekend and amplify aurora activity. Aurora Borealis sightings have been reported from all over the world. The United States, New Zealand, and Europe all had stunning, colorful lights filling the skies over the weekend.