"Hidden sunspot triggers radio blackouts on Earth"

A powerful solar flare caused by a sunspot three times the size of the Earth sent radiation that interfered with Earth's radio signals, causing a blackout that lasted more than 10 minutes. The flare was an M9.6 solar flare, just one rank below the most powerful class of solar flares. The sun is entering a period of peak activity, causing more frequent solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which could potentially be dangerous if powerful solar storms were to short power grids around the globe.