'Dark Filaments' on the Sun

[Delta4Embassy]

"DARK FILAMENTS ON THE SUN: Amateur astronomers are noting an outbreak of dark magnetic filaments on the sun. The longest, which measure 100,000 km to 250,000 km from end to end, are snaking around the sun's southeastern limb..."

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

Apparently these can cause solar flares independent of a sunspot.

 

[BooGeymaN]

I have done a little research into the solar maximum that should be starting to occur . I realize these are normal cycles the sun goes through and I know the effects of solar flares on our earth normally doesn't pose too much of a problem for our satellites and power lines and such. I also have seen some predictions saying this may be a strong cycle.

I have read of flares, that happened in recent history, that would have destroyed many satellites and possibly shut down power here on earth if the things we have everywhere today were in place in that time. What is your view on how likely a scenario like this could take place? It seems that the people putting these things into space that we rely so heavily on would have something in place to prevent anything from happening but it didn't seem that way the way it was presented. (of course now I cannot find the article I'm referencing but it was a reputable source.)

 

[Delta4Embassy]

They've happened before, and they'll happen again. Big one back in 1989, and pretty sure another since blacked out New York city, forget when though. '89 incident's here:

NASA - The Day the Sun Brought Darkness

Ah here it is, the one in 2003 was biggest ever recorded:

"It's Official: The Biggest Solar X-ray Flare Ever Is Classified As X28
Date:
November 7, 2003
Source:
European Space Agency
Summary:
It has just been announced that the massive solar X-ray flare which occurred on 4 November was, at best estimate, an X28. There is still a small chance this will be revised by a small amount, but it is now official: We have a new number 1 X-ray flare for the record books, the most powerful in recorded observational history."

It's Official: The Biggest Solar X-ray Flare Ever Is Classified As X28 -- ScienceDaily

Flares are categorized by alphabet and values 1-8 (angstroms.) X is the highest, and until this, max value was 8. So an X28 is unprecedentedly massive.

Flares that can incinerate the planet though aren't possible from our Sun (as far as we know.) They're possible in other stars but not our's.