NOAA Reports on M-class Solar Flare Causing Blackout Across Atlantic Ocean
In the past few weeks, the Sun has released significant energy through solar flares, some of which have had no impact while others have caused geomagnetic storms on Earth. The recent focus has been on an unstable sunspot, AR3335, which has raised concerns about the potential for dangerous solar flares. Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun’s surface that result from strong magnetic activity.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, this volatile Sunspot AR3335 exploded on June 18. As a result, it produced an M2.5 class solar flare. “The explosion lasted long enough to lift the CME out of the solar atmosphere after it was confirmed by SOHO coronagraphs,” the report added.
How strong is it? According to NASA, solar flares are classified based on their intensity on a scale starting with Class A flares, which are the smallest and close to background levels. It then progresses through the B, C, M, and X grades, with each subsequent grade showing a tenfold increase in strength. Thus, an X-class flare is ten times more powerful than an M-class flare and a hundred times more powerful than a C-class flare.
The effect of a solar flare on Earth
This powerful M2.5 solar flare has also caused a shortwave radio outage in the Atlantic Ocean, a SpaceWeather.com report mentioned. NOAA forecasters have also confirmed that radio outages reached the R1 level in the last 24 years, with the largest occurring on June 18, 2023. Over the next three days, there is a chance of R1-R2 (Slight-Moderate) radio outages and a slight chance of R3 (Strong) or greater power outages. However, NOAA analysts are currently modeling the coronal mass ejection (CME) to determine if it has a component that is directed toward Earth.
Technology for detecting solar flares
A joint mission between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16). This satellite plays a crucial role in various functions such as sensing, solar imaging and measuring the space environment. In addition to GOES-16, NASA operates several other spacecraft observing the Sun, including SOHO, ACE, IRIS, WIND, Hinode, Solar Dynamics Observatory, and STEREO.
