A powerful solar flare erupted from the sun on Thursday, March 28, causing a deep shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean. The X1.1 flare was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), sparking concerns of a potential geomagnetic storm impacting Earth’s infrastructure. However, on Friday, March 29, NOAA announced that Earth would likely dodge the CME.
Solar flares are explosive events on the sun’s surface caused by twisted magnetic-field lines snapping and releasing bursts of electromagnetic radiation. Recent solar activity, including a “double” X-class flare on March 25, has led scientists to believe that the sun may have entered its peak activity phase known as solar maximum. However, researchers are waiting for the sun to “calm down” before confirming this.
X-class flares, like the recent ones, are most common during solar maximum, which is part of the sun’s 11-year solar cycle. In 2024 alone, seven X-class flares have erupted from the sun, indicating a potential increase in solar activity compared to previous years. The sun’s behavior in the coming months will provide more insight into whether it has indeed reached the solar maximum phase. Stay tuned for updates on White Houser as scientists continue to monitor the sun’s activity.
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