US EditionSpace scientists capture Sun firing four massive solar flares
- On February 1, 2026, Active Region 4366 produced a major X8.1 solar flare at 23:57 UTC, following intense, daylong flaring from the same sunspot region.
- Forecasters say the cause was the rapid magnetic growth of Region 4366, which developed a beta-gamma-delta magnetic configuration and expanded to more than 500 microhemispheres, driving multiple flares.
- Satellite imagery and instruments showed GOES-18 recorded continuous elevated X-ray emission and SUVI 195 imagery revealed post-flare dimming while two earlier CMEs were not Earth-directed.
- NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center raised flare probabilities for Region 4366 and expects the > 2 MeV electron flux to remain moderate to high through February 4.
- Analysts warn this flare surge ranks among the brightest since October 2024, signaling an unusually tempestuous spell even as Solar Cycle 25 is believed past its peak.
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Space scientists capture Sun firing four massive solar flares
The outbursts were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft.
The sun just spewed its biggest solar flare in 30 years — here’s what that could mean for us on Earth
The sun just unleashed four powerful solar flares, including one of the strongest sunburst in three decades, causing blackouts and increasing the possibility of aurora activity over the next few days.
Our sky is under the effects of an unprecedented event in the last 20 years. The Sun has awakened with an unusual fury, launching an extreme-level solar-radiation storm to Earth that has activated all the alerts of space agencies. It is not a simple visual spectacle; this stream of charged particles is directly impacting our technology and has forced immediate reaction to airlines and satellite operators across the planet. The biggest particle b…
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