A massive X1.2-class solar flare erupted from a sunspot region on Earth’s side of the sun, triggering radio blackouts across the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii. The flare, which occurred on June 17, was the strongest blast yet from this active sunspot region and marked the first X-class flare from it.
Unlike previous eruptions, this powerful flare did not produce a coronal mass ejection (CME), but instead caused a rapid, intense flash of electromagnetic energy that disrupted radio signals. The flare was strong enough to ionize Earth’s upper atmosphere and cause signal loss at frequencies below 25 MHz over Hawaii.
X-class flares are the most powerful type of solar flare, with Tuesday’s event ranking as X1.2. This puts it at the lower end of the X-scale but still strong enough to cause disruptions. Forecasters closely watch sunspot region 4114, which remains Earth-facing and shows signs of magnetic instability.
If future flares produce CMEs, they could trigger geomagnetic storms and auroras. For now, space weather forecasters are keeping a close eye on this prolific flare factory, which could still produce more high-level flares in the coming hours or days.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/colossal-solar-flare-erupts-from-earth-facing-sunspot-sparking-strong-radio-blackouts-over-pacific-ocean-video