NASA Warns of New Solar Flares That Could Disrupt Earth Communications

NASA has warned about two recent strong solar flares that could interfere with communications on Earth. These flares happened on May 13 and May 14, 2025. Experts say they may cause problems with radio signals, navigation systems, and satellites.

Solar flares are bursts of energy released from the sun. While they have occurred for billions of years, their effects are now more serious because modern technology depends on signals that can be disturbed by these flares. NASA scientists are closely monitoring these events to understand the risks.

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation from the sun that covers many types of light, including X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet light. The energy in one solar flare is huge, similar to a billion hydrogen bombs exploding. Solar flares are measured from A to X, with X being the strongest. The recent flares were X-class, showing their extreme power.

The first flare happened on May 13 at 11:38 a.m. EDT and was an X1.2 flare. The second flare, stronger than the first, occurred on May 14 at 4:25 a.m. EDT and was rated X2.7. Both came from the sunspot region called AR4087, a very active area on the sun.

Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protect us from the most harmful particles, but solar flares can still affect satellites and systems relying on signals in the upper atmosphere. This includes GPS, satellite phones, and radio communication. Power grids and astronauts in space are also at risk.

Currently, five sunspot regions face Earth, but they are mostly small and less active. Last week’s flares were strong but not the most powerful recorded. In 2003, NASA detected an X28 flare, which may have been even stronger but could not be fully measured.