[2nd] Major Solar Flare

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

X8.2-Flare NOW! Big #hamradio blackout, #GPS & #satellite phone issues next 2hrs, especially USA, Europe. #Hurricane #Irma #RedCross impact! pic.twitter.com/giPL1K8JRR

— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) September 10, 2017

The X8.2 solar flare is highly eruptive with a fast and broad coronal wave. Wow! pic.twitter.com/ZYhVrAu9D7

— SpaceWeatherLive (@_SpaceWeather_) September 10, 2017

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]