STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND RADIO BURST: New sunspot AR2822 erupted on May 7th at 1904 UT, producing an M3.9-Class solar flare – one of the strongest flares of young Solar Cycle 25.
A pulse of ultraviolet and X-radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth’s atmosphere causing a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas. Areas and frequencies affected are shown in this map. Ham radio operators and mariners may have noticed strange propagation effects at frequencies below 20 MHz, with some transmissions below 10 MHz completely extinguished. The event was associated with Type II and IV radio emissions, a sign that a potential CME is possible. The region is not yet directly facing our planet, so any potential eruption would not be fully directed towards Earth.
