The first ‘significant’ solar flare of the year has been spotted by a Nasa observatory. The flare peaked at 12.22pm EDT (4.22pm GMT) yesterday and was watched by the orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This flare was the most powerful of the year so far, and is predicted to cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth tomorrow following blackouts today. Scroll down for video . Space weather experts in Colorado, US issued a warning on a solar flare. It was the biggest eruption of the year and peaked at 4.22pm GMT yesterday (shown) This flare was classified as an X2.2-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, and so on. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, but harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground. However, when intense enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun. According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, the flare caused an hour-long blackout in some high-frequency radio communications over some areas. The flare (seen in different wavelengths on the left and right) has already caused radio blackouts on Earth and a minor geomagnetic storm could occur tomorrow. This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun. Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth’s magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. A positive aspect, from an aesthetic point of view, is that the auroras are enhanced. Geomagnetic storms are more disruptive now than in the past because of our greater dependence on technical systems that can be affected by electric currents. ‘An R3 (Strong) Radio Blackout peaked at 1622 UTC (12:22pm EDT) today, March 11,’ they said in a statement.. ‘This is yet another significant solar flare from Active Region 12297 as it marches across the solar disk. ‘This is the largest flare the region has produced so far, after producing a slew of R1 (Minor) and R2 (Moderate) Radio Blackouts over the past few days.’ They also note that ejections of material associated with the flare - known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) - are predicted to arrive today and tomorrow. ‘The combined effects of these storms have prompted a G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch to be issued, with the possibility of additional or upgraded watches if/when additional data can be analysed,’ they wrote. A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of Earth's atmosphere, which can cause communication problems. Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), illustration shown, was launched on 11 February 2010 and has observed the sun ever since. It’s goal is to understand how exactly the sun interacts with the environment around Earth. It captured the images of this latest large flare . According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, the flare (shown) caused an hour-long blackout in some high-frequency radio communicatiosn over some areas . A solar flare occurs when magnetic energy that has built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released - mostly in the active regions around sunspots. Their frequency varies from several a day, when the sun is particularly active, to less than one a week during quiet periods. Radiation is emitted across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves at the long wavelength end, through optical emission to x-rays and gamma rays at the short wavelength end. The amount of energy released is the equivalent of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs exploding at the same time. Solar flares are not to be confused with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The former are the flash of light from the sun, while the latter are the actual emission of material that we often see as 'loops' coming from the surface. While the two often accompany each other, the relationship between them is not entirely understood.
Space weather experts in Colorado, US issued a warning on a solar flare .
It was the  biggest eruption of the year and peaked  4.22pm GMT yesterday .
It has already caused radio blackouts on Earth and a minor geomagnetic storm could occur tomorrow .
This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun .
The first ‘significant’ solar flare of the year has been spotted by a Nasa observatory. The flare peaked at 12.22pm EDT (4.22pm GMT) yesterday and was watched by the orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This flare was the most powerful of the year so far, and is predicted to cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth tomorrow following blackouts today. Scroll down for video . Space weather experts in Colorado, US issued a warning on a solar flare. It was the biggest eruption of the year and peaked at 4.22pm GMT yesterday (shown) This flare was classified as an X2.2-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, and so on. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, but harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground. However, when intense enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun. According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, the flare caused an hour-long blackout in some high-frequency radio communications over some areas. The flare (seen in different wavelengths on the left and right) has already caused radio blackouts on Earth and a minor geomagnetic storm could occur tomorrow. This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun. Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth’s magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. A positive aspect, from an aesthetic point of view, is that the auroras are enhanced. Geomagnetic storms are more disruptive now than in the past because of our greater dependence on technical systems that can be affected by electric currents. ‘An R3 (Strong) Radio Blackout peaked at 1622 UTC (12:22pm EDT) today, March 11,’ they said in a statement.. ‘This is yet another significant solar flare from Active Region 12297 as it marches across the solar disk. ‘This is the largest flare the region has produced so far, after producing a slew of R1 (Minor) and R2 (Moderate) Radio Blackouts over the past few days.’ They also note that ejections of material associated with the flare - known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) - are predicted to arrive today and tomorrow. ‘The combined effects of these storms have prompted a G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch to be issued, with the possibility of additional or upgraded watches if/when additional data can be analysed,’ they wrote. A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of Earth's atmosphere, which can cause communication problems. Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), illustration shown, was launched on 11 February 2010 and has observed the sun ever since. It’s goal is to understand how exactly the sun interacts with the environment around Earth. It captured the images of this latest large flare . According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, the flare (shown) caused an hour-long blackout in some high-frequency radio communicatiosn over some areas . A solar flare occurs when magnetic energy that has built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released - mostly in the active regions around sunspots. Their frequency varies from several a day, when the sun is particularly active, to less than one a week during quiet periods. Radiation is emitted across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves at the long wavelength end, through optical emission to x-rays and gamma rays at the short wavelength end. The amount of energy released is the equivalent of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs exploding at the same time. Solar flares are not to be confused with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The former are the flash of light from the sun, while the latter are the actual emission of material that we often see as 'loops' coming from the surface. While the two often accompany each other, the relationship between them is not entirely understood.
. Space weather experts in Colorado, US issued a warning on a solar flare. It was the biggest eruption of the year and peaked at 4.22pm GMT emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the on the left and right) has already caused radio blackouts on Earth and a minor geomagnetic storm could occur tomorrow. This flare was emitted from Active Region 12297 (AR12297) on the sun. Solar