NEWS UPDATE – At 16:06UTC today another massive X flare occurred – this time an X8.2 again from sunspot AR2673. Radio blackouts immediately happened.

On Sept. 6th at 1202 UT, sunspot AR2673 unleashed a major X9-class solar flare–the strongest solar flare in more than a decade. X-rays and UV radiation from the blast ionized the top of Earth’s atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout on the dayside of our planet. The explosion also likely produced a CME, although coronagraph images have not yet confirmed this possibility. Please stay tuned for updates about this event. [LINK]