SPACE — A massive storm over the sun on Wednesday discharged the strongest solar flare in ten years.<br /><br />The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the X9.3 flare caused high frequency radio blackouts and navigational issues over the sunlit part of Earth.<br /><br />According to NASA, solar flares take place when magnetic energy built up within the sun's atmosphere is suddenly released.<br /><br />They impact everything on the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays.[d] The energy released is equivalent to millions of 100-megaton nuclear bombs exploding at the same time.
