Sunspot region 4455 fires 3 strong flares, triggering radio blackouts
The sun just fired off three big solar flares in less than 24 hours, all from the same sunspot (region 4455).
These blasts, labeled M9.3, M7.9, and X1, are some of the strongest we have seen lately.
They caused radio blackouts in parts of Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa, with the X1 flare hitting Europe and Asia especially hard.
G3 geomagnetic storm watch June 4-6
Because of these flares, earth might get hit by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which could spark geomagnetic storms.
The UK Met Office says a CME from the M9.3 flare should reach us by June 4.
There is now a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm watch out for June 4-6, which means auroras could show up farther south than usual!
Scientists are keeping a close eye on sunspot region 4455 since it is still active and might send more surprises our way.