BOULDER, CO — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that an X-Class solar flare occurred at 7:18 a.m. on Thursday. The flare has been categorized as an R3, indicating it is strong but not extreme, reaching levels of X9 on the flare scale.
According to NOAA, X-Class flares are the most intense type of solar flare, with an average occurrence of 175 per solar cycle, which lasts about 11 years.
This level of flare can cause widespread interruptions, including blackouts of high-frequency radio communications and loss of radio contact for approximately one hour on the sunlit side of Earth. Low-frequency navigation signals may also experience degradation for around an hour.
NOAA noted that flares of this magnitude are not common during solar maximum, they are not entirely unusual either.
These flares are typically abrupt with durations ranging from minutes to hours as they rise and fall quickly.
Strong Flare Event on October 3
(Credit: swpc.noaa.gov)
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