An X-class flare released by the Sun caused a radio blackout in Australia and Japan

Solar Flare (Image Credit - Canva)

Recently Sun released a strong solar flare that falls in the category of an X-class flare, which is the most powerful flare category of the Sun. This flare originated from the sunspot AR3738.

This strong flare resulted in a blackout across the two countries Australia and Japan as the extreme Ultra Violet radiation emitting resulted in this event.

This event took place late Saturday night (July 13) at 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UT on July 14) captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.  It was reported that there were no Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) which referred to the large plasma and magnetic field from the Sun.

CMEs directed at Earth can create stunning auroras. Recent reports indicate that the Sun has been particularly active in recent months, emitting powerful flares that have caused several radio blackouts.

In June, sunspot AR3723 was observed and it was revealed that this spot has released a significant solar flare. This sunspot appeared three times on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. On June 23 also the spot emitted an M-class solar flare.

There are several impact solar flares such as geomagnetic storms, in the Ionosphere and Atmosphere solar flares greatly increase the density of charged particles and pose challenges to space technology.

Overall, these blackouts occur due to the intense bursts of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted during such solar events. The radiation ionizes the upper atmosphere, affecting high-frequency shortwave radio signals.