A high-level X-ray flare has been registered on the Sun

A solar flare of the highest magnitude X, as reported yesterday, occurred almost exactly at midnight Moscow time on the night of June 30–July 1. The time of maximum is listed in the catalog as 08:50 PM UTC.

Although classified as a high-magnitude event, the event is moderate in strength. The measured magnitude of X1.1 is only 10% higher than the lower limit of the class, while the entire range of this category is X1–X10, and flares in the 21st century have also been recorded in the X20 category.

The reason for this "gentle" behavior is clear from images coming from space: the explosion did not occur in the largest region of year 4478, which was the focus of all attention. This center remains silent for now. The nervous system of a neighboring active center, region 4479, located higher up, has given in. This group of sunspots is smaller and appears to have been the first to succumb to the enormous amounts of energy currently being generated opposite the Earth in the center of the visible solar disk. The main region continues to monitor the situation in its vicinity and is not allowing any disruptions.

Despite the moderate strength of the explosion (if such a term can be applied to a high-level event), given the current position of active solar centers almost exactly on the Sun-Earth line, the impact will still be quite significant. Storms and radiation storms of the highest level are not expected in this case, and even the level preceding the highest (G4) is unlikely to be reached, but G3 (strong) events are apparently inevitable. Modeling shows that the front from the flare explosion will reach the planet as early as tomorrow, between 6 PM and 09 PM UTC. The resulting storm is expected to be the strongest since March of this year.