A Powerful Eruption Occurred in an Active Region of the Sun: What Impact Has It Had on Earth

In the active region of the Sun, responsible for the record polar lights seen in May, a powerful M9.3 class eruption occurred on June 23, causing moderate shortwave radio communication disruptions in certain areas.

This region, previously known as AR3697 and AR3664, has already exhibited high activity, resulting in a G5 geomagnetic storm and vibrant auroras around the globe. G5 is the strongest geomagnetic storm on a scale of five, occurring rarely, typically once every ten years, and can cause significant disruptions to electrical grids, communication systems, and satellite navigation systems.

The solar rotation period is approximately 27 days, so this active phase will be visible from Earth for about two weeks before it disappears behind the Sun's western edge. Although this solar active spot has decreased in size, it continues to produce powerful eruptions.

The June 23 eruption peaked at 13:01 GMT and was close to being classified as an X-class eruption, the most powerful type. Physicist Kate Strong stated, “The southeastern edge of solar spots has just generated an M9.7 class eruption (only 3% weaker than an X-class eruption).”

This eruption caused moderate shortwave radio disruptions in Western Europe and Africa. Such phenomena are common following powerful solar eruptions, as they release intense X-ray bursts and extremely strong ultraviolet radiation. This radiation ionizes the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere, creating an environment where high-frequency shortwave radio signals cannot propagate effectively.

In the ionized layers, radio waves interacting with electrons lose energy and can be absorbed or weakened. Earlier in this active region of the Sun, when it was labeled AR3697, an X-class eruption occurred, leading to communication outages in Western Europe and the Eastern United States.