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M5.9 Solar Flare Triggers Radio Blackouts Across Earth
The M5.9 solar flare caused brief HF radio communication loss impacting aviation, marine, and amateur radio users with an R2-Moderate blackout rating, NOAA reported.
- On Friday evening, NOAA's SWPC reported an M5.9 solar flare detected at 22:22 UTC from a newly emerging sunspot group on the Sun's eastern limb, reaching R2‑Moderate on the radio blackout scale.
- Active region NOAA 14274 produced 15 M-class flares and five X-class flares amid Solar Cycle 25, which peaks around 2025 and drives increased flare activity.
- GOES‑19 satellite Angstrom imagery and SUVI 131 Å captured a bright, impulsive burst at the Sun's eastern edge, with NOAA noting M‑class flares tend to rise and fall over minutes.
- Amateur radio users experienced interference and aviation and marine operators faced brief HF radio degradation on the sunlit side of Earth, with most disruptions lasting only tens of minutes.
- At this stage, NOAA has not confirmed a CME; NOAA analysts are assessing imagery while forecasters warn a CME with south‑pointing magnetic fields could raise geomagnetic storm risks, with updates pending as solar‑wind data arrive.
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