"Monstrous 'Halloween Storm' Captured in Historic Space Photo"

NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory captured an image of a massive X-class solar flare erupting from the sun on October 28, 2003, during the "Halloween solar storms." The flare, with an estimated magnitude of 45, launched a coronal mass ejection (CME) that hit Earth the next day, causing temporary radio blackouts, satellite disruptions, and visible auroras as far south as California. Experts believe it could have been the largest solar storm since the Carrington Event in 1859. The upcoming solar maximum is expected to be the strongest in decades, posing potential risks to our increasingly satellite-dependent world.