Halloween 2003 was a real treat for stargazers, yet rather tricky for astronauts, pilots, and satellite operators. Out of seemingly nowhere, three monstrous sunspots appeared in late October, bombarding the Earth with a series of freakish solar storms that triggered a Halloween light show unlike any other. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

The solar shenanigans began on October 19 and lasted until November 5, with a total of 17 solar flares hurled in our direction during this period. However, the most intense activity was concentrated around the final days of October, when the largest of the sunspots, known as Region 486, unleashed its fury .

More than 13 times the size of the Earth, Region 486 was responsible for 12

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