--- title: "A Colossal Solar Flare Just Triggered a Radio Blackout on Earth" description: "A huge solar flare caused a radio blackout on Earth yesterday — and we could be in for another powerful geomagnetic storm later this week." date: "2024-10-02" modified: "2024-10-02" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/solar-flare-radio-blackout" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "coronal mass ejection" - "geomagnetic storm" - "Sun" - "the digest" --- # A Colossal Solar Flare Just Triggered a Radio Blackout on Earth ![A huge solar flare caused a radio blackout on Earth yesterday — and we could be in for another powerful geomagnetic storm later this week.]() *\Image: NASA/SDO\* ## Blacked Out A huge solar flare caused a radio blackout on Earth yesterday, [according to ]()*[Spaceweather.com]().* The event, which saw a huge amount of electromagnetic radiation being slung our way by the Sun, clocked in as a [powerful X-level solar flare]() and was [deemed by experts]() at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be the second-strongest of the year so far. The radio blackouts occurred over Hawaii and other areas of the Pacific. Communications were only briefly lost, but the powerful event serves as a potent reminder of the cosmic forces that can have a direct influence on life on our home planet. https://twitter.com/NWSSWPC/status/1841274720630477087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1841274720630477087%7Ctwgr%5Ed13936dc0109275e54ca30be522e241bfe303c9a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fsolar-flare-sun-x-class-radio-blackout-space-weather-1962570 ## Aurora Watch And the drama might not be over yet. [According to the NOAA](), the sunspot explosion appears to have caused a coronal mass ejection — which in short, means that the Sun just spit up a wad of solar plasma. That plasma now seems to be heading in our direction and is due to collide with our atmosphere on October 5. NOAA has since [issued]() a "minor-strong" geomagnetic storm warning as a result. The concept of solar plasma hurtling toward our planet might sound scary, but you probably have nothing to worry about. According to NOAA, some "technological infrastructure" could experience some "limited, minor effects," though those should remain "mainly mitigable." And beyond some (hopefully) minor technological difficulties, there could be a huge plus to the geomagnetic event: [auroras]()! Back in May, when a similar X-level plasma plume hit our planet's atmosphere, keen-eyed observers across the globe — including across the US, as far south as Florida — were privy to [incredible views of the Northern Lights](), which are usually only visible in a few, far-north regions of the world. NOAA says that if there are auroras this week, they'll likely be visible "over many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest and Oregon." We'd recommend keeping up with NOAA updates this week, lest you miss a dazzling cosmic light show. **More on the Sun and radio signals:** [*NASA Investigating Mysterious Radio Signals From the Sun*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()