Sun Unleashes Record-Breaking X9.0 Flare: Brace for Geomagnetic Storms

On October 2nd and 3rd, the National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center reported five M-class solar flares from the sun, with minimal geomagnetic activity, leading to ionospheric scintillation in southern China. These solar flares were a prelude to a more significant event.

At 20:18 Beijing time on October 3rd, a major solar flare erupted in Active Region 13842, reaching an intensity of X9.0. This marks the strongest solar flare to occur during the current solar cycle, which began in 2019. The classifications of flares from weakest to strongest are A, B, C, M, and X, with the numerical value indicating intensity.

This remarkable solar activity comes amidst the 11-year solar cycle that started in 2019, currently witnessing its ascending phase. As the cycle progresses, activity is expected to intensify before eventually subsiding towards its end.

The solar flares can release intense electromagnetic radiation, high-energy charged particles, and coronal mass ejections. When these reach near-Earth space, they can significantly disrupt the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere. Potential impacts include interference with satellite operations, radio communications, power grids, and navigation systems.

The Space Weather Center has also warned of possible medium to major geomagnetic storms on October 4th, attributable to recent coronal mass ejections on September 30th and October 1st. Additionally, the likelihood of further flares, rated M-class or higher, could cause ionospheric disturbances from October 4th to 6th.