X4.5 solar flare

Monday, 6 May 2024 18:32 UTC

X4.5 solar flare

Sunspot region 3663 celebrates the start of a new week with a massive X4.5 (R3-strong) solar flare. This is the third strongest solar flare of solar cycle 25 and the strongest solar flare produced by this sunspot region thus far. Sounds great right? When will I be able to see aurora I hear you ask...

A common train of thought it that major X-class solar flares equal major coronal mass ejections... but unfortunately that is not always the case. Today's X4.5 solar flare from sunspot region 3663 might have been the third strongest solar flare of the current Solar Cycle, it was yet another solar flare from this sunspot region that was not or hardly eruptive. A solar flare of this magnitude is impressive but again this region fails to deliver when it matters.  This little coronal mass ejection with a northward (not earth-directed) trajectory is all that released following the X4 event.

Sunspot region 3663 is now rotating towards the west limb making any future eruptions more and more unlikely to arrive at Earth. Sunspot region 3664 in the southern hemisphere is however developing nicely and has the potential to produce M-class activity in the next 24 hours. This region is facing Earth right now and might well be worth keeping an eye on...

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