A massive solar flare erupted from a giant sunspot on the face of the sun on Friday afternoon, triggering a strong radio blackout. The flare, classified as an X3.1-class solar storm, erupted from sunspot AR 12192—the largest sunspot of its kind since November 1990. According to NASA spokesperson Karen Fox, "This is the fourth substantial flare from this active region since Oct. 19." More details at space.com.