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Major Solar Flare Strikes as Giant New Sunspot Erupts

An unprecedented sunspot, designated 4366, emerged over the weekend and rapidly expanded to nearly ten times Earth's diameter. The region unleashed a prolonged flare sequence—M7, X1, and M6—lasting over six hours, delivering intense extreme ultraviolet radiation that triggered a shortwave radio blackout across the South Atlantic. The flare's delta-class magnetic configuration indicates high instability, suggesting further eruptions are likely. While initial observations show no associated coronal mass ejection, scientists await additional coronagraph data to confirm.