On Friday, Earth was hit by the strongest geomagnetic storm in 20 years. Intense solar activity sent bursts of radiation toward Earth, causing fluctuations in the upper atmosphere that led to disruptions in the power grid and radio blackouts, among other technologies and infrastructure.
High frequency radio blackouts were also observed throughout Asia, eastern Europe, and eastern Africa shortly after an X-class solar flare peaked in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Space.com. Solar radiation impacts Earth’s ionosphere, a layer in the upper atmosphere, causing fluctuations that can interfere with radio transmissions from satellites passing through this layer.