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An intense solar event occurred in the early hours of February 6, when a sunspot produced a powerful M4-class solar outburst, according to a report from . indiatoday.in,
“This significant solar activity sent a hot plume of plasma into the Sun’s atmosphere at speeds of more than 1,440,000 kilometers per hour, culminating in the formation of a coronal mass ejection (CME),” the report said.
Extreme ultraviolet radiation from the solar flare ionized the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere and caused shortwave radio blackouts across Australia.
Following the peak intensity of the solar flare, ham radio users and maritime operators experienced signal loss below 30 MHz for up to an hour.
According to the report, coronal mass ejection was not observed in the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraph, but evidence of its existence was provided by the US Air Force. It reported a Type-II radio explosion.
Sunspot AR3575 is characterized by a complex beta-gamma-delta magnetic field configuration. This suggests the possibility of even more powerful X-class solar flares.
The event also indicates shock waves at the forefront of a coronal mass ejection and raises questions about potential impacts on Earth.
According to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a 25 percent chance that such an event could occur on the same day.
The Sun is near the zenith of its 11-year solar cycle. Maximum sunspot activity is predicted for 2025.
Earlier in December 2023, a NASA telescope captured the largest solar flare in years, which temporarily knocked out radio communications to Earth.
The sun emitted a massive radio burst as well as a giant flare, causing radio interference for up to two hours in parts of the US and other sunny parts of the world.
According to NOAA scientists, it was the largest flare since 2017, and the radio burst was widespread, affecting even high frequencies.
(with inputs from agencies)
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Published: 06 February 2024, 04:13 PM IST
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