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The title and the article don’t tell the half of it. This article describes the largest flare aimed at the earth in the last 500 years not the biggest observed from earth. For example, according to NASA solar observation satellite data, an X27 magnitude flare in November 2004? was detected erupting from a portion of the sun that had just rotated into view from the earth in the preceding ~24 hours. This eruption from a sun spot was estimated to be capable (this could use a citation as it’s from memory) of causing prompt radiation fatalities on the earth of unsheltered people and animals at around the 10 degree south latitude around their noontime longitudes. Since it wasn't "aimed" at the earth there was no damage here. It makes one curious about the happenings to come as the sunspot cycle peaks in the next ~5 years.