An Earth-facing sunspot has become a prolific flare factory, producing multiple powerful M-class solar flares and C-class eruptions in less than 24 hours.

The most intense solar flare erupted on June 15, peaking at 2:25 p.m. EDT and registering as an M8.46-class, just below the X-class category. This flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME) partially headed towards Earth, with forecasts suggesting it could reach us on June 18.

If the CME does impact Earth, we may experience minor geomagnetic storm conditions, potentially leading to northern lights visible as far south as northern Michigan and Maine.

What are solar flares?

Solar flares occur when magnetic energy in the sun's atmosphere is released in a burst of electromagnetic radiation. They are classified by strength into different groups, with X-class being the strongest, followed by M-class, C-class, B-class, and A-class.

Within each class, a numerical value indicates the flare's relative strength. The June 15 flare was an M8.46, almost reaching X-class intensity.

Radio blackouts across North America

During the M8.46 event, North America faced direct impact from the sun, leading to shortwave radio blackouts in the region due to ionization of the upper atmosphere.

What's next?

The sunspot region responsible for these flares remains active, with another M6.4 flare occurring on June 16. More solar flares and potential CMEs could happen in the coming days, possibly resulting in more northern lights displays as Earth remains in the active region's strike zone.

Stay updated on aurora forecasts with our live blog and check NOAA's 3-day forecast for the latest geomagnetic activity breakdown.