Huge solar flare, strongest since 2017, disrupts Earth radio communications

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A huge solar flare, the biggest since 2017, disrupted radio communication for two hours on Earth Thursday. It was detected by a NASA telescope.

"This is likely one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded," the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said in a statement. "Radio communication interference with aircraft were reported by multiple NWS Center Weather Service Units co-located at FAA facilities.

"These impacts were felt from one end of the Nation to the other. Additionally, SWPC is analyzing a possible Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with this flare."

The CME is an outburst of plasma from the sun. This eruption happened in the northwest section of the sun.

NASA said in a statement, "The sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 12:02 p.m. EST, on Dec. 14, 2023. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event."

NASA said solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that can affect not just radio communications, but electric power grids, and navigation signals while also posing potential hazards to spacecraft and astronauts.

The flare was classified as an X2.8 flare. X class is used by NASA to describe the most intense solar flares.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory used extreme ultraviolet light to record the flare. The observatory was launched in 2010 and is in an extremely high orbit around Earth, constantly monitoring the sun.

The sun has an approximately 11-year solar cycle, with maximum sunspot activity predicted in 2025.

In February 2022, a solar storm knocked out 40 of 49 SpaceX Starlink broadband communications satellites.