X1.2 solar flare erupts from Active Region 3182

A major solar flare measuring X1.2 at its peak erupted from Active Region 3182 at 00:57 UTC on January 6, 2023. The event started at 00:43 UTC and ended at 01:07 UTC.

A 10 cm Radio Burst (Ten flare), with a peak flux of 420 sfu and lasting 3 minutes, was associated with this event.

A 10 cm radio burst indicates that the electromagnetic burst associated with a solar flare at the 10cm wavelength was double or greater than the initial 10cm radio background.

This can be indicative of significant radio noise in association with a solar flare.

This noise is generally short-lived but can cause interference for sensitive receivers including radar, GPS, and satellite communications.

A shortwave radio blackout caused by the flare affected Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the south Pacific Ocean.

The location of this region — close to the east limb — does not favor Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMS). However, this will change in the days ahead as it rotates toward the center of the solar disk.

This region is the source of a large asymmetric partial halo CME detected on January 3:

Large asymmetric partial halo CME just beyond the east limb of the Sun

Space Weather Message Code: SUMX01
Serial Number: 121
Issue Time: 2023 Jan 06 0149 UTC

SUMMARY: X-ray Event exceeded X1
Begin Time: 2023 Jan 06 0043 UTC
Maximum Time: 2023 Jan 06 0057 UTC
End Time: 2023 Jan 06 0107 UTC
X-ray Class: X1.2
Optical Class: 2b
Location: S18E68
NOAA Scale: R3 - Strong

Potential Impacts: Area of impact consists of large portions of the sunlit side of Earth, strongest at the sub-solar point.
Radio - Wide area blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication for about an hour.

Featured image credit: NASA SDO/AIA 304, The Watchers

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