A massive solar flare, captured by a NASA telescope, caused a temporary disruption of radio communication on Earth.

On Thursday, the sun emitted a large flare and powerful radio burst, resulting in two hours of radio disruption in areas of the U.S. and other sunlit regions. According to researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this was the largest flare since 2017, and the radio interference was widespread, impacting even higher frequencies.

According to Shawn Dahl from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the combination caused one of the most significant solar radio events ever documented.

Several pilots experienced communication disturbances, affecting the entire country, according to the space weather forecasting center. Researchers are currently monitoring this sunspot area and investigating the potential release of plasma from the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection, that could potentially be directed towards Earth. This could lead to a geomagnetic storm, potentially disrupting high-frequency radio transmissions in the higher latitudes and potentially causing northern lights, also known as auroras, in the near future.

The sun’s eruption took place in the far northwest region, as captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory using extreme ultraviolet light. The spacecraft, which was launched in 2010 and is in a high orbit around Earth, continuously observes the sun.

The sun is approaching the height of its 11-year solar cycle, with an expected maximum of sunspot activity in 2025.

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Source: wral.com