"Unprecedented Solar Flare Outburst: What It Means for Solar Cycle 25"

NASA captured images of the largest solar flare in years, with three powerful eruptions observed in 24 hours, temporarily affecting shortwave radio communications on Earth. The most intense flare, rated X6.37, occurred late Thursday afternoon. Solar flares are rated by intensity, and the recent activity indicates an increased period of solar activity as the sun follows its 11-year solar cycle. While harmful radiation from flares cannot physically affect humans, they can impact radio propagation and spark geomagnetic storms. Scientists dispelled any connection between the recent flares and a cellular network outage in Massachusetts, emphasizing that the worst impacts come from coronal mass ejections, not the initial flares.