Powerful Solar Flare , Causes Radio Blackout and Sends , CME Toward Earth.<br />'Newsweek' reports that a massive plume of solar plasma <br />is headed toward Earth following the largest solar <br />flare in the sun's current 11-year cycle to date.<br />The December 14 solar flare was recorded as an <br />X2.8-class flare, making it the most powerful <br />to occur since September of 2017.<br />The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to hit Earth's <br />atmosphere on December 17 and has already caused <br />a shortwave radio blackout across both North and South America.<br />The impact may lead to further power issues, satellite <br />problems, radio blackouts and even the possibility of <br />auroras being visible as far south as Oregon and Illinois.<br />The impact may lead to further power issues, satellite <br />problems, radio blackouts and even the possibility of <br />auroras being visible as far south as Oregon and Illinois.<br />'Newsweek' reports that the CME headed <br />toward Earth is believed to be traveling at <br />approximately 4.7 million miles per hour. .<br />The impact could cause geomagnetic storms as powerful <br />as category G2 (moderate) or G3 (strong), which can lead to <br />a number of problems for power grids, radio waves and satellites.<br />The amount of energy in an X class <br />flare can sound scary, but the true <br />impact for us on Earth depends very <br />much on a number of factors. , Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space <br />weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.<br />Some give comparisons of the <br />'Carrington Event' in 1859, which is <br />thought to have released more power <br />than millions of the largest nuclear <br />bomb ever exploded on Earth. , Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space <br />weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.<br />However, the chances of a flare <br />affecting the Earth are lessened<br />because the flares pop out in <br />all directions, decreasing the <br />chance of them hitting Earth, Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space <br />weather expert at the University of Surrey, England, via 'Newsweek'.<br />'Newsweek' reports that the next <br />solar maximum is set to occur sometime <br />between January and October of 2024
