Powerful Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackout and Sends CME Toward Earth

Powerful Solar Flare , Causes Radio Blackout and Sends , CME Toward Earth.

'Newsweek' reports that a massive plume of solar plasma is headed toward Earth following the largest solar flare in the sun's current 11-year cycle to date.

The December 14 solar flare was recorded as an X2.8-class flare, making it the most powerful to occur since September of 2017.

The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to hit Earth's atmosphere on December 17 and has already caused a shortwave radio blackout across both North and South America.

The impact may lead to further power issues, satellite problems, radio blackouts and even the possibility of auroras being visible as far south as Oregon and Illinois.

The impact may lead to further power issues, satellite problems, radio blackouts and even the possibility of auroras being visible as far south as Oregon and Illinois.

'Newsweek' reports that the CME headed toward Earth is believed to be traveling at approximately 4.7 million miles per hour.

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The impact could cause geomagnetic storms as powerful as category G2 (moderate) or G3 (strong), which can lead to a number of problems for power grids, radio waves and satellites.

The amount of energy in an X class flare can sound scary, but the true impact for us on Earth depends very much on a number of factors.

, Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.

Some give comparisons of the 'Carrington Event' in 1859, which is thought to have released more power than millions of the largest nuclear bomb ever exploded on Earth.

, Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.

However, the chances of a flare affecting the Earth are lessened because the flares pop out in all directions, decreasing the chance of them hitting Earth, Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.

'Newsweek' reports that the next solar maximum is set to occur sometime between January and October of 2024