Sun Fires Off a Major X-Class Solar Flare - January 6, 2023

Earth-orbiting satellites have just detected a major X1.2-class solar flare (Jan. 6th, 00:57 UT). The source is emerging sunspot AR3182. No eruption was observed from this event and the primary impact was on high frequency communications on the sunlit side of the Earth. The flare caused a shortwave radio blackout affecting most of the South Pacific including Australia and New Zealand. Now that the active region is turning toward Earth, our planet could be in the line of fire for the next blast.