Sunspot 4479 flare knocks out shortwave radio across North America
Technology
A strong solar flare from sunspot 4479 hit on June 30, knocking out shortwave radio for pilots, sailors, and ham radio users across North America and the Pacific.
The burst of energy messed with Earth's upper atmosphere around 2:20am. IST, cutting off high-frequency signals below 25 MHz.
CME may arrive by July 2
This flare also launched a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. NASA and NOAA say it could arrive by July 2, possibly sparking a moderate to strong geomagnetic storm.
That means satellites, GPS, power grids (and even where you might spot auroras) could be affected.
All this is part of Solar Cycle 25, which has seen sunspots and space weather events ramp up over the past year.