Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology.
The sun has unleashed an enormous X-class solar flare, temporarily triggering a radio blackout above parts of the U.S. and unleashing a hefty coronal mass ejection that will likely slam into our planet, potentially triggering vibrant aurora displays later this week.
Radiation from Tuesday's supercharged flare bypassed Earth's magnetic shield, or magnetosphere, and ionized the upper parts of the upper atmosphere, creating a temporary radio blackout above large parts of the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii. The explosion also hurled a CME — a cloud of fast-moving plasma and radiation — into space, which NASA predicts will collide with Earth on Saturday , according to Spaceweather.com.
Scientists had initially predicted that the solar maximum would begin next year and be less active than the peaks of past solar cycles. However, it quickly became obvious that the sun's explosive peak would arrive sooner and be more active than expected, forcing researchers to update their forecasts for the first time in their history.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.2024 has already been rife with solar activity. In May, our planet experienced its most powerful geomagnetic storm for 21 years after a barrage of CMEs, which triggered potentially the most widespread auroras for 500 years. And in August, the number of visible sunspots hit a 23-year high.
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