A major solar flare Monday blacked-out all shortwave radio communication on the daylight side of Earth, according to a space weather advisory issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The flare, technically called a coronal mass ejection, is a burst of material that blasts out of the sun's corona, sending radiation and energetic particles into space. Monday's flare was not directed at Earth, so the brief shortwave blackout should be the most significant effects of the event, said Norman Cohen, a space weather forecaster at the agency.

Although the flare emitted a large burst of X-ray energy, it appears not to have shot any significant particle energy toward Earth that would cause any disturbance in the Earth's geomagnetic field.

"I don't see any reason to predict any significant geomagnetic effects or storms," said Cohen. Solar flares can interrupt satellite and radio communications when they erupt in the direction of Earth. The most severe Earth effects occur about two days after a flare, when low-energy particle radiation hits Earth's magnetic field.

Another major flare erupted in the same solar region today at about 1 a.m. Eastern time, but it was less energetic than Monday's event and will likely have less impact, Cohen said.