[TheWatcher]

The sunspot from 2 weeks ago that produced all the beautiful night sky show worldwide with its X class flares, is rotating back into view. Cannot wait to see if we get a repeat show. The Sun is still peaking for this cycle so we will likely have other chances too.



Here is an explanation. There is also a follow up about the question awhile ago on charges generated by these rare events (the further south you go the less the effect):

Spaceweather.com Time Machine


Map of surface current intensity May 10-11:

[Blueblaze]

Well, let's pray we miss the civilization-ending blast of EMP from a giant solar flare again this time, like we did a couple of weeks ago, just after the sunspot moved out of range.

Events like this are far more likely to end things for us on this planet than the 0.04% of CO2 in the atmosphere. In fact, there is a 1% chance of a civilization-ending solar flare event every decade, although the scary warnings about hurricanes and El Nino get all the attention. In fact, the recent unseasonably warm weather we're currently experiencing has much more to do with the recent solar storms on that giant variable star we live next to, than cow farts and Florida deforestation.

[TheWatcher]

Originally Posted by Blueblaze

Well, let's pray we miss the civilization-ending blast of EMP from a giant solar flare again this time, like we did a couple of weeks ago, just after the sunspot moved out of range.
....

Here is a graph over the past decades of similar events showing how often this has happened in recent history.



The CME (Coronal Mass Ejection), the actual particles, that interact with the magnetosphere and cause ground currents, are the main culprit.

The flares are bursts of visable light, x-ray, gamma, and UV radiation.

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