A powerful X-class solar flare hit Earth yesterday, causing radio blackouts over the U.S. West Coast and much of the Pacific Ocean.
The solar flare was spat out by a sunspot named AR3590, which has a volatile “beta-gamma-delta” magnetic field that makes it primed for X-class solar flares.
The flare that hit Earth on Wednesday was recorded as being X1.9-class, making it one of the more powerful solar flares.
“X1.9-flare now! Region 3590 fires a big flare at an R3-level #RadioBlackout over the Western Pacific, especially Western USA & Canada, New Zealand, Eastern Australia & Indonesia (colored regions in map).
Although short-lived, expect more activity from this region!” space weather physicist Tamitha Skov posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.
