ACTIVE SUNSPOT: An active sunspot is emerging over the sun's northeastern limb. At 2349 UT on Jan. 25th it unleashed an C9.9-class solar flare and caused a minor low-frequency radio blackout over the South Pacific. The sunspot's potential for more and stronger flares will become clear later today as it turns more squarely toward Earth.
BIG SUNSPOT ALERT: New sunspot AR2936 has rapidly grown into one of the largest active regions of young Solar Cycle 25, quadrupling in size in only 48 hours. This 2-day movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sunspot's rapid development:
As the sunspot turns toward Earth, the chance of an Earth-directed flare is increasing. NOAA forecasters say there is a 20% chance of M-class flares today and a 5% chance of powerful X-flares--odds that could increase further as the weekend unfolds.
As the sunspot turns toward Earth, the chance of an Earth-directed flare is increasing. NOAA forecasters say there is a 20% chance of M-class flares today and a 5% chance of powerful X-flares--odds that could increase further as the weekend unfolds.