Strongest Solar Flare in Years Disrupts Radio Signals in U.S.

A massive solar flare captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday afternoon disrupted radio communication across the world for about two hours. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy from the sun that can impact radio signals, electric power grids, and navigation systems. NASA classified Thursday’s incident as a X2.8 flare, belonging to the most intense class. The U.S. government’s Space Weather Prediction Center stated that the solar flare was the largest it recorded in six years and multiple pilots complained about communication difficulties. CBS News reported that the sun is currently in a maximum phase where it is experiencing higher activity. This will make phenomena such as the northern lights, which occur when a solar flare erupts toward Earth, more likely to be visible.