Departing #sunspot AR3234 produced another X2-class solar flare on March 3rd (1752 UTC). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme #ultraviolet #flash:
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas. Aviators and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal and other unusual propagation effects at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as an hour.

New sunspot AR3242 is magnetically complex and crackling with M-class #solar #flares. This morning in Hong Kong, David Leong pointed his solar telescope at the #sun and immediately saw an explosion:

"AR3242 was already flaring when I started shooting at 5:11 UT," says Leong. "The unusually dark filaments kept changing shape minute by minute on my computer screen. It was an hour of wonder and excitement."

This sunspot is turning toward Earth, and it will soon be in our planet's strike zone. Stay tuned.
https://spaceweather.com/