Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackouts, CME to Graze Earth
An intense solar flare erupted from the sun on Sunday, causing radio blackouts across the South Pacific Ocean. Scientists are now warning of potential geomagnetic storms due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) expected to graze Earth on February 5 to 6. The solar flare, classified as an X8-class, is one of the most powerful types of solar eruptions. It originated from sunspot 4366, which has rapidly grown and released multiple X-class and M-class flares. This sunspot is described as a 'behemoth,' nearly half the size of the historic Carrington sunspot that caused the largest recorded solar storm in 1859. The flare's extreme ultraviolet radiation ionized Earth's atmosphere, leading to shortwave radio blackouts, particularly affecting ham radio operators in Australia and New Zealand. 
