The sunspot AR 3842 remains active as it exits the sun’s western limb, having unleashed an X2.1 solar flare on October 7 at 3:13 p.m. EDT.

This follows a historic X9.05 solar flare on October 3, the strongest in seven years.

The X2.1 flare generated significant ultraviolet radiation, causing shortwave radio blackouts across North and South America and the Pacific.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) was also released, though it’s still being analyzed to determine its trajectory toward Earth, Space.com has reported.

CMEs can impact satellites and power grids and are monitored for their potential effects on Earth’s magnetic field and geomagnetic storms.

Written by B.C. Begley