Major X5.0 solar flare erupts from Region 3536 -- the strongest flare of the Solar Cycle 25

A major X5.0 solar flare erupted from Active Region 3536 at 21:55 UTC on December 31, 2023. The event started at 21:36 and ended at 22:08 UTC. This is now the strongest solar flare of the current solar cycle -- Solar Cycle 25 -- and the strongest flare since X9.3 on September 6, 2017. A Type IV radio emission was associated with the event. Type IV emissions occur in association with major eruptions on the Sun and are typically associated with strong coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar radiation storms. Additionally, the flare event was associated with a 10cm Radio Burst (tenflare) lasting 21 minutes and with a peak flux of 3 100 pfu. A 10cm radio burst indicates that the electromagnetic burst associated with a solar flare at the 10cm wavelength was double or greater than the initial 10cm radio background. This can be indicative of significant radio noise in association with a solar flare. This noise is generally short-lived but can cause interference for sensitive receivers including radar,