Massive Sunspot Erupts, Unleashing Powerful Solar Flare and Causing Radio Disruptions

An intense X-class solar flare erupted from an enormous sunspot on the sun's surface, disrupting radio communications on Earth for about 30 minutes.
The sunspot region, known as AR3354, is roughly seven times the size of Earth and about to rotate out of view.
While the flare caused radio blackouts, there is no evidence it launched a coronal mass ejection, which can trigger geomagnetic storms.
The flare is a sign of increasing solar activity as the sun approaches the next predicted peak of activity in the coming years.
June 2023 saw the highest average monthly sunspot numbers in more than two decades, indicating the sun may become even more active in the near future.