Often solar activity goes unnoticed on Earth, but this one will surely grab every ones attention. The Sun is just past its low-point in an 11-year cycle of activity. But big eruptions can happen anytime. One just did.

A major X-9 flare erupted Tuesday morning, at 5:35 a.m. ET. The flare emanated from a large sunspot, numbered 929, which is just coming into view around the eastern limb of the sun. However, this particular flare was directed away from Earth, but this sunspot will rotate toward the center of the sun over the next few days and could offer up more major blasts that could take direct aim at our planet. It’s a bit like the top coming off a shaken champagne bottle.

An ongoing series of major solar flares could disrupt communications on Earth and generate colorful sky shows for people at high northern latitudes. Even more serious effects are possible. Flares of this magnitude (X-class flares are all major) can damage satellites and can also threaten astronauts in space. NASA sometimes orders astronauts aboard the International Space Station to retreat to the most well protected part of the orbiting outpost to avoid excess radiation exposure. Spacewalks are avoided during solar storms.

Solar flares send radiation to Earth in about 8 minutes. Hours later, clouds of charged particles can engulf the planet. If the magnetic field of a storm is oriented opposite to our planet’s protective magnetic field, gaps are created and radiation leaks to the planet’s surface, potentially threatening communications on earth and astronauts.

If enough storms erupt, the odds are likely to go up. In coming days, if more major flares erupt, they’ll head right at us and radio blackouts, cell phone dropouts and other communications disruptions are more likely,

Via: MSNBC