Auroral and Solar Activity: March 23-24, 2024

X11 Solar Flare Observed by GOES and International Satellites

From March 23-24, 2024, NOAA's GOES satellites and those operated by international partners detected intense solar activity, including a severe X-class solar flare. On March 23, the Sun released a strong X11 solar flare, the most powerful observed in recent years. This flare originated from sunspot AR3664, which accounted for 13 flares during this period.

The X11 flare emitted a strong burst of radiation, peaking at 4:56 pm. The flare was exceptional as it produced a second simultaneous explosion. This activity triggered a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun. The CME is expected to reach Earth on March 25th and could potentially cause geomagnetic storms.