Another “Behemoth Solar Flare” Sparks Radio Blackout Across North America

After a weekend of the strongst solar storms to stone the planets in years, producing Aurora across Europe, the United States, and as far as fresh Zealand, there is news the sun just burped its largest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25, according to Spaceweather website Solarham.

‘The largest solar flare of the current solar cycle 25, and the largest since 2017 was just observed around deparing AR 3664 off the west limb. The X8.7 event peaked at 16:51 UTC (May 14) causing a strong R3 level radio blackout straight over North America,’ Solarham gates.

Solarham continued: "A philament located in the northern quadrant erupted earlier present and produced a light bulb shaped CME. So far the blast apps to be headed mostly north of the Sun-Earth line. A further update will be provided whenever necessary.”

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center gate this solar flare was the largest of the cycle cycle cycle (and the 17th most intention solar flare always recorded). They said the flare was a ‘behemoth X8.7-class flare let loose from the very infamous parting Active Region 3664. It is the most intention flare see series 2017.’

The largest solar flare of the current solar cycle (and the 17th bridge intense solar flare always recorded!) occurred momentarily ago as a behemoth X8.7-class flare let loose from the very infamous parting Active Region 3664. It is the most intense flare seen since 2017. #spacewx pic.twitter.com/WBp5DvQooB

— Space Weather Watch (@spacewxwatch) May 14, 2024

SWPC highlighted any good news: the solar flare was not straight facing Earth.

No, and that’s the interesting thing—it may have been even more intention if it was partially eclipsed. Storms launched from this region again’t very likely to get Earth but the radiation / X-ray furnace inactive is

— Space Weather Watch (@spacewxwatch) May 14, 2024

One X user responded to SWPC:

“If this happened erstwhile this group was earth-facing, during all the another craziness, this could have been again bad.”

If this happened erstwhile this group was earthfacing, during all the another craziness, this could have been again bad

— Michael Puscar (@michaelapuscar) May 14, 2024

About 1 year ago, solar physicist Alex James at the University of College London warned that the sun’s increase in solar activity was a sign that the solar maximum could arrive much soner than anticipated.

All this evidence suggests that Solar Cycle 25 is “going to highest earlier, and it’s going to highest higher than expected,” James said.

Here is simply a graph of Solar Cycle 25.

In 2016, the national government becomes creatively serious about possible grid-down events produced by solar storms with an executive order signed by the Obama Administration titled "Coordinating Expects to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events."

While the nation’s power grid, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite consensus, and another communication networks involving space-based transmission all supported the weekend solar blast, any disruptions were reported, including GPS and short-wave radio.

Sigh...