"Solar Flare Sparks Massive Radio Blackouts in South Pacific and Australia"

A powerful solar flare erupted from a giant unstable sunspot, triggering radio blackouts on Earth and firing a hot plasma plume through the sun's atmosphere at speeds of 900,000 mph. The eruption also released a coronal mass ejection, but it is unlikely to strike Earth. The flare caused extensive radio blackouts in the South Pacific due to the strong pulse of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation. NASA captured stunning images and video of the solar flare, and more solar activity could be on the horizon as another unstable sunspot region comes into view.