Major X2.3 solar flare / Geomagnetic storm

[Just AnotherPerson]

The sun is getting more active than it has for a decade — and it could lead to power outages, grounded flights, and stunning auroras

• The sun is entering a period of peak activity that will last several years, an expert said.
• This means the sun will produce more solar flares, powerful bursts of energy.
• Solar flares can disrupt radio communications and electric power grids on Earth.

The sun is waking up after almost a decade of relative calm, scientists say — and that could cause problems on Earth.


As more sunspots appear on the surface of our star during its active period, it may prompt more solar storms, creating bursts of electromagnetic energy that can affect everything from the power grid to GPS signals.


These so-called solar maximums occur roughly every 11 years, and they haven't been much of a problem in the past.


Scientists, however, fear that our reliance on electricity and interconnectivity could mean we're far more vulnerable to their effects this time around.

Great article. This new solar cycle has been ramping up, some think it could be a very active solar cycle. It is definitely proving to be so far. I still remember the last cycle. It certainly affected us. In March of 2011 we were hit by an X flare, and several consecutive M flares. The X flare was on March 9th only days before the Fukushima earthquake it is thought by many that there could be a connection. I also remember the lighting storms of 2012 were off the hook. We definitely had more storm energy.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News031011-xclass.html

https://www.space.com/11088-northern...lar-flare.html