Sun releases most powerful flare in nearly a decade

On Tuesday, the sun launched its largest solar flare in seven years, according to an American scientific and regulatory agency.

The flare is the 17th largest solar flare ever recorded, said the Space Weather Prediction Center, affiliated with the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on X.

Some radio transmitters and similar technical equipment may be affected by the powerful flare, the center warned.

The eruption occurred at around 1 p.m. Eastern time (1700GMT) and was rated an X-class flare, the most powerful kind, according to the center.

Not only that, but it was an X8.7, meaning it was on the stronger end of the X-class spectrum, which ranges from 1 to 9.

Solar flares are energetic explosions from the sun and can cause radio blackouts from minutes to hours.

They are classified from class A to class X, with each class scaled from 1 to 9 within its category.