As a kind of prelude to our holiday fireworks, a powerful X-1 flare burst out of an unnamed sunspot on July 3rd. It was the first solar flare of this magnitude in nearly four years.
According to Spaceweather.com, the event (part of Solar Cycle 25 which began in 2020) caused a shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean. "It disturbed all of my instruments," reported Rob Stammes, who operates a space weather observatory in Norway.