NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has recently captured images of the biggest and most intense solar flare seen in years. A series of three powerful eruptions from the sun were observed within a span of 24 hours, temporarily disrupting shortwave radio communications on Earth. The first two flares, rated X1.7 and X1.8 in magnitude, occurred on Wednesday night and early Thursday. The most explosive flare, rated X6.37 in intensity, happened late Thursday afternoon, marking it as the largest flare in the current solar cycle and the biggest since 2017.

Dr. Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist at the National Solar Observatory, noted that the recent X6.3 solar flare was more powerful than the one recorded in December 18. The sun operates on an 11-year solar cycle, with increasing numbers of flares and sunspots. The current Solar Cycle 25 began in 2020 and is expected to reach peak activity this year. The recent trio of solar flares emanated from the same AR13590 region on the sun.

Solar flares, the solar system's largest explosive events, release intense bursts of radiation associated with sunspots. They emit X-rays and can impact radio propagation in the upper atmosphere. Fortunately, harmful radiation from solar flares cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere to physically harm humans on the ground. However, these flares can trigger geomagnetic storms on Earth, leading to phenomena such as the captivating Aurora Borealis.

While solar flares can influence radio communication, scientists emphasized that the recent flares were not responsible for the cellular network outage that affected emergency communications in Massachusetts. An R3 rating classified these flares as strong enough to disrupt high-frequency or shortwave radio communication for about an hour on the sunlit side of Earth. The potential damage from space weather, including CMEs, is a more concerning threat, capable of causing significant harm to power grids, cell towers, and satellites.

Recent history has shown the devastating impacts of explosive coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In 1989, a powerful CME triggered a nine-hour blackout affecting six million people, while in 2022, a strong CME event caused around 40 Space X satellites to fail to reach orbit. The recent solar flares serve as a reminder of the sun's cyclical activity and the need for continued monitoring and preparedness for space weather events.