"Intense X-Class Solar Flare Disrupts Radio Signals and Causes Blackouts Across Australia and Southeast Asia"

The sun unleashed a powerful X-class solar flare on Feb. 9, triggering shortwave radio blackouts across South America, Africa, and the Southern Atlantic. The flare erupted from sunspot AR3576 and was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME). While Earth is unlikely to be directly affected, the flare caused extensive radio blackouts due to the strong pulse of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation. Solar and space weather scientists are monitoring the sun carefully as energetic solar flares and CMEs can be problematic for satellites in space and electronic technology on Earth.