Sun activity archive for November 2024

Sun news for November 30: Geomagnetic storm, still no SDO

A late coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth, triggering G1 (minor) geomagnetic storms earlier today. Kp hit 5 at 2:42 UTC on November 30. The final portion of the CME, which the sun released on November 25 and finally reached Earth, caused this disturbance. The CME originated from a filament eruption – a slow and long-lasting event – allowing its effects to reach Earth over two to three days and cause magnetic field disturbances. Did you catch the auroras? Share your photos with us! Meanwhile, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) remains offline as repair work continues at the Joint Science Operations Center at Stanford University, following flooding caused by a broken cooling line. The good news is no data have been lost. All information remains securely stored at the ground station in New Mexico and will be processed once operations resume. Stay tuned for updates on SDO’s return!
Last 24 hours: Over the past 24 hours, solar flare activity has remained low, with only C-class flares. However, flare productivity has increased notably, with 19 flares between 11:00 UTC yesterday and 11:00 UTC today. The most significant was a C9.4 flare, nearly reaching M-class, at 9:06 UTC on November 30 from active region AR3906. This region was the leading flare producer during this period with 10 flares. Both AR3906 and AR3912 maintain a beta-gamma magnetic configuration, indicating a moderate potential for further flare activity. In contrast, AR3905 has simplified to a beta configuration, losing its previous gamma complexity. The remaining sunspot regions exhibit either alpha or beta magnetic classifications. Currently, five sunspot regions are visible on the sun’s Earth-facing side.

Sun news for November 29: Weak CME impact expected, SDO update

The coronal mass ejection (CME) from November 25 finally reached Earth, but it packed far less punch than expected. As a result, the alerts for G1 (minor) and G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storms on November 29 have been called off. Meanwhile, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) remains offline due to flooding at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) at Stanford University, which caused a break in a cooling line. While they’re repairing the line, there’s good news: no data have been lost! All information is securely stored at the ground station in New Mexico and will be processed as soon as operations resume. Stay tuned for updates on SDO’s return!
Last 24 hours: Solar activity is low, with only C flares over the past day. The sun produced 14 C flares from 11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today. The largest was a C5.4 at 3:01 UTC this morning (November 29) from active region AR3908. The lead flare producer was AR3912 with five C flares. AR3906 lost its delta magnetic configuration; it is now showing a beta-gamma complexity along with sunspot region AR3905. The remaining regions are alpha or beta. The sun has eight sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side.

Sun news for November 28: Auroras possible tonight?

We might see some auroral excitement today! NOAA has issued a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm watch for November 28, with the potential for a G2 (moderate) storm tomorrow. This means auroras could light up the skies tonight across northern U.S. states, and may even be visible on the horizon farther south. The anticipated disturbance is due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) fired toward Earth during a filament eruption on Monday. By the way, our usual detailed view of the sun has been limited due to a temporary outage of Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) data. The outage stems from flooding at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) at Stanford University after a cooling line break. Fortunately, no data have been lost! They are safely stored at the ground station in New Mexico and will be processed as soon as the facility is back online. Stay tuned for SDO’s return … And if you’re chasing auroras tonight, clear skies and good luck!
Last 24 hours: Solar activity is back up to moderate with an isolated M flare. The sun produced nine flares between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today. The largest flare was an M1.0 from AR3901 at 12:46 UTC on November 27. Three regions produced two flares, each including AR3901. AR3906 kept its beta-gamma-delta magnetic configuration, meaning it has good potential to produce M and X flares. Active regions AR3905 and AR3910 have beta-gamma configurations, and the remaining regions are alpha or beta. The sun has nine sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Region AR3912 is a newcomer to the solar disk.

Sun news for November 27: Auroras possible tomorrow?

A filament eruption we observed on Monday may cause auroral excitement late tomorrow. Spaceweather experts have determined that the eruption sent a blob of sun-stuff – a coronal mass ejection (CME) – toward Earth. CMEs from filaments are usually slow and provide an extended impact, so the sun-stuff coming our way may disturb Earth’s magnetic field for a couple of days. NOAA issued a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm watch for November 28, and said we could see a G2 (moderate) storm on November 29. This means there are good chances for auroral displays at northern latitudes as far south as the states of New York and Michigan in the US, and Scotland and Denmark in Europe. Good luck, aurora chasers!
Last 24 hours: Solar activity dropped to low with only C class flares fired over the past day. The sun produced a total of 14 C flares. The largest was a C7.4 at 12:39 UTC on November 26 from active region AR3910. The lead flare producer of the period was sunspot region AR3910, with seven C-class flares between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today. AR3906 kept its beta-gamma-delta magnetic configuration, meaning it has good potential to produce M and X flares. AR3907 retains a complex magnetic field with a delta in its configuration, so this region is also capable of larger flares. Active regions AR3903, AR3905, and AR3910 show beta-gamma configurations and the remaining regions show alphas or betas. The sun has eight sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Regions AR3910 and AR3911 are newcomers to the solar disk.

Sun news for November 26: Fiery filaments across the sun

The sun is currently covered in filaments: huge ropes of denser, cooler solar material controlled by magnetic fields. Many are overhanging the solar horizon, so we refer to them as prominences. Filaments and prominences can erupt from the sun, firing out bursts of sun-stuff (coronal mass ejections, or CMEs). And sometimes a filament will be lying across a sunspot region when that region erupts with a solar flare and CME. In this case the filament comes with it, creating a CME with an extra punch. This is one of the most interesting events on our star! Right now, there are two long filaments snaking across the southern hemisphere, a few off the northwest and eastern limbs (edges), and several scattered across the northern hemisphere. One of the southern hemisphere’s filaments erupted yesterday, sending solar material largely away from Earth. And, as often happens, the filament then reformed, so it can still erupt again. What filament fun do we have in store? Stay tuned.
Last 24 hours: After yesterday’s exciting near-X flare, activity has calmed down to moderate levels, with smaller M flares and C flares. Between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today, the sun produced 17 flares: five M (moderate) and 12 C (common) flares. The largest flare was an M2.0 at 12:12 UTC on November 25 from region AR3906. A corresponding R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. Active region AR3906 is again the lead flare producer with six C flares. Here’s a list of the M flares of the past day:

• M2.0 at 12:12 UTC on November 25 from AR3906. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa. The largest.
• M1.0 at 16:36 UTC on November 25 from AR3906. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Chile.
• M1.5 at 17:07 UTC on November 25 from a region in the northeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Chile.
• M1.9 at 20:54 UTC on November 25 from AR3901. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.
• M1.2 at 21:43 UTC on November 25 from AR3906. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean.

Two sunspot regions, AR3906 and AR3907, have beta-gamma-delta magnetic configurations, indicating a much higher chance for M and X flares. The sun currently has nine sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Regions AR3908 and AR3909 are the newcomers to the solar disk.

Sun news for November 25: Almost-X flare this morning

BAM! An M9.4 flare, just shy of the X flare threshold, erupted just before 8 UTC today. It came from a largely hidden region rotating into view in the northeast. It wasn’t a short, fast flare – what solar scientists call impulsive – but instead a long-duration event. And an extended event often involves sun-stuff being launched into space as a coronal mass ejection (CME). Given the location, any CME was most likely not Earth-directed, but we await a detailed analysis. The location – just over the northeastern solar horizon – also means that some of the flare was blocked by the sun itself. This means not all of the light released during the flare reached Earth, and so the M9.4 flare could easily actually have been a small X flare. It’s interesting to note that this region is in the sun’s northern hemisphere, as the southern hemisphere has been more active for the past six months. So what does this new region have in store for us? Let’s wait and see. Stay tuned!
Last 24 hours: Activity has risen to high due to an M9.4 flare. The sun produced 20 flares in total between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today: two M (moderate) and 18 C (common) flares. The largest flare was an M9.4 flare at 7:42 UTC from a region on the northeast limb (edge). A corresponding R2 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over the Indian Ocean. The lead flare producer was active region AR3906 with eight C flares.

• M1.1 at 20:22 UTC on November 24 from a region in the northeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific.
• M1.1 at 01:59 UTC on November 25 from AR3906. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Eastern Australia.
• M1.8 at 04:53 UTC on November 25 from AR3906. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the western coast of Australia.
• M9.4 at 07:42 UTC on November 25 from a region in the northeast. R2 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean. The largest.

There are two large filaments across the southern hemisphere that have stayed around for many days. Around 1 UTC, November 25, the eastern half of the more northern of the filaments erupted from the sun. The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) is directed southeastward. We have to wait for further analysis to determine if it contains an Earth-directed component. Two sunspot regions have beta-gamma-delta magnetic configurations, indicating a much higher chance for M and X flares. The sun currently has eight sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Region AR3907 is a newcomer to the solar disk.

Sun news for November 24: Flare forecast is promising

The biggest activity this past week was on the sun’s far side. It came in the form of a massive eruption, strong enough to send a wave around the sun and high-energy particles to Earth (Alex gave a great explanation of that wave and the particle storm on Friday’s livestream). Now a new region with an interesting magnetic complexity (currently beta-gamma-delta) has rotated into view. It’s labeled AR3906, and its magnetic complexity indicates a high potential for strong flares. In addition, there are multiple beta-gamma regions on the sun’s Earth-facing disk now: AR3901, AR3905, AR3907, and AR3908. They might provide some flare action, too. Now we sit back and wait. Chances are we’ll see something! The disk is also covered with filaments, ropes of solar material and magnetic fields. There’s a giant one visible now across the sun’s southern hemisphere. Stay tuned and let’s see what’s next!
Last 24 hours: Activity remained moderate over the past day, with two M flares from 11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today. The sun produced 20 flares in all, two M (moderate) and 18 C (common) flares. The largest flare was an M1.2 flare at 16:02 UTC on November 23 by active region AR3901. An R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over Argentina. The 2nd-largest flare was an M1.1 at 18:10 UTC on November 23 from beyond the NE limb (edge), with an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile. The lead flare producer was active region AR3906 with eight C flares. The sun has eight sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Region AR3907 is a newcomer to the solar disk.

Sun news for November 23: New kid in town, AR3906

There’s a new kid in town showing flaring potential, AR3906, on the southeast limb (edge). It is the largest region on the disk with a beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, which means it could bring large flares. The region has already raised our flare activity levels to moderate. Three regions – AR3901, AR3903 and AR3905 – have beta-gamma configurations, showing potential for more flaring. Given AR3906’s growth combined with its companions, it may be just a matter of time before activity on the disk picks up even more, so stay tuned. Did you see yesterday’s Sun News of the Week livestream? It was an interesting discussion with EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd and Dr. C. Alex Young speaking about the radiation storm and Solar Cycle 25. Dr. C. Alex Young is co-author of this daily sun update and a heliophysicist at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center. If you missed it, the discussion is available at our YouTube page.
Last 24 hours: Activity returned to moderate with two M flares produced during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). The sun produced 11 flares, two M and nine C flares. The largest flare was an M1.6 flare at 15:46 UTC on November 22 by active region AR3905. An R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over Brazil. The second largest flare was an M1.1 at 22:15 UTC on November 22 from AR3906, with an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. The lead flare producer was active region AR3905 with the largest M flare and four Cs. Close behind was newcomer AR3906 with the second M flare and three Cs. The sun has nine sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side.

Sun news November 22: BLAMMO! Farside blast and radiation storm at Earth

Over the past day, there were two big blasts of sun stuff, aka coronal mass ejections or CMEs. The first came at around 12:24 UTC on November 21 from the sun’s southwest. And the second, much larger, came from the northwest at around 18:00 UTC on November 21. This second one came the sun’s far side. Due to its location, we suspect it was from AR3889, which just rotated out of view. The eruption was big, as indicated by the coronal or EIT wave it produced. Was it an X flare? We don’t know; there are no sun-observing spacecraft on that side of the sun to tell us. Since it was on the farside, it couldn’t have produced an Earth-directed CME. But we do know the blast’s location makes it magnetically well connected to Earth. You can think of there being a particle super highway that travels to Earth from around the sun’s western solar limb, or edge. And – indeed – an S2 (moderate) solar particle storm was seen as “snow” in the coronagraph images from SOHO’s LASCO imagers. The S2 radiation storm also affected Earth’s south pole, causing a radio blackout in high-frequency radio. This kind of event is called polar cap absorption. Tune in at 12:15 p.m. CST (18:15 UTC) today Friday, November 22 for our regular Friday Sun News of the Week livestream. EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd will be asking about the radiation storm – and about Solar Cycle 25 as a whole – speaking with Dr. C. Alex Young, co-author of this daily sun update and a heliophysicist at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center. Don’t miss it!
Last 24 hours: Solar activity dropped back to low over the past day, with only C flares. The sun produced nine C flares during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). The largest flare was an almost-M flare, a C9.1, at 3:44 UTC on November 21 from active region AR3901. The lead flare producer was active region AR3901 with five C flares. The sun has 10 sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. There are three newcomers, AR3903 in the southwest, AR3904 close to the southwest limb (edge), and AR3905 on the southeast limb (edge). Two active regions, AR3901 and AR3903, have potential with beta-gamma magnetic complexity. The remaining regions have simpler alpha or beta configurations.

Sun news November 21: Has Solar Cycle 25 peaked?

August 2024 has retained its position as the current peak of Solar Cycle 25 in sunspot number. The October 2024 sunspot number reached 166.4, much lower than the August peak of 215.5. Have we seen the peak of Solar Cycle 25? The sun never ceases to surprise us, so no one knows yet. Sun experts will wait at least three to six months after the August peak to make a definitive determination. Here’s another question. Will this cycle have a double peak? It’s looking that way, with the sun’s northern and southern hemisphere peaking at different times. So we’re waiting on that question as well! Stay tuned. And for a fuller discussion, tune in Friday for our Sun News of the Week livestream.
Last 24 hours: Over the past day, solar activity increased slightly to moderate, with the production of an isolated M flare. During our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today), the sun produced nine flares: an isolated M and eight C flares. The largest flare was an M1.2 flare at 19:48 UTC on November 20 from active region AR3889, just as the region was rotating out of view. This flare produced an R1 (minor) radio blackout affecting an area over the Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. The lead flare producer mantle was shared by three active regions: AR3901, AR3897, and AR3892, each with two flares. A gorgeous, long-lasting prominence on the east horizon indicated more action coming our way. The sun has seven sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side, and we have a newcomer on the southeast limb (edge): AR3902. Region AR3901 is still showing potential with a beta-gamma magnetic complexity. The remaining regions have simpler alpha or beta configurations.

Sun news November 20: Dueling southern prominences

We’ve observed two eye-catching ropes of solar material and magnetic fields in the solar southern hemisphere over the past day. These are what’s known as filaments. But since we’re seeing them overhanging the solar horizon – one in the east and one in the west – we refer to them as prominences. Both are incredibly long, each covering hundreds of thousands of miles. Watching these prominences, you can see plasma condensing higher up in the sun’s atmosphere and then streaming down invisible magnetic fields toward the solar surface. The question then becomes, will the filaments destabilize and erupt into space? If they continue to rise higher, this will indicate an eruption might be imminent. Given their location, any sun-stuff that’s erupted into space – a coronal mass ejection, or CME – could at least partially be headed to Earth. Stay tuned to see what happens.
Last 24 hours: Just after reporting yesterday on a surge in flare activity from new region AR3901, the fireworks turned off. Flaring dropped to low, with the production of only C class flares during our observation period of 11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today. Our star produced a total of 16 C flares. The largest was a C9.0 flare, almost reaching the M flare threshold. The lead flare producer of the period was active region AR3901 in the southeast with five C flares. The sun has seven sunspot regions on its Earth-facing side. Active region AR3901 is still showing potential with a beta-gamma magnetic complexity. The remaining active regions have simpler alpha or beta configurations.

Sun news November 19: High activity, beautiful prominences

Our star has been busy over the past 24 hours! Flaring reached high levels with eight M flares. The majority of the flaring came from the newly arrived region AR3901. Meanwhile, last week’s promising region AR3889 is departing over the west limb (edge), spitting out jets and a beautiful prominence as it does so. Plus, we’ve observed a long filament – a rope of solar material and magnetic fields – running from the central meridian to hang over the southeast edge, making it a prominence. We also saw gorgeous activity at the north pole, where some plasma was hurled into space and the rest returned to the sun. Take a look in today’s imagery.
Last 24 hours: Solar activity is high, with eight M flares fired during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). However, flaring productivity was reduced compared to the previous day; the sun produced 17 flares (eight Ms and nine C flares) compared to the previous total of 21. The largest of the M flares was an M3.7 produced at 12:53 UTC on November 18 by active region AR3901. A corresponding R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The lead flare producer of the period was active region AR3901 in the southeast, with seven flares: four Ms and three C flares. It was closely followed by sunspot regions AR3897 and AR3889, which produced five flares each. The list of M flares is:

• M2.5 at 10:58 UTC on November 18 from AR3901. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Africa.
• M1.6 at 11:12 UTC on November 18 from AR3897. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Africa.
• M1.6 at 11:27 UTC on November 18 from AR3897. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Africa.
• M3.7 at 12:53 UTC on November 18 from AR3901. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the southern Atlantic Ocean. The largest.
• M1.8 at 17:49 UTC on November 18 from AR3901. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Chile.
• M2.0 at 19:15 UTC on November 18 from AR3901. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the South Pacific Ocean.
• M1.1 at 20:51 UTC on November 18 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the South Pacific Ocean east of Easter Island.
• M1.1 at 00:00 UTC on November 19 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Fiji Islands.

The sun has eight sunspot regions on the solar disk facing Earth. Two regions show potential with a beta-gamma magnetic complexities: the departing AR3889, and AR3901. The remaining regions are simple alpha or beta regions.

Sun news November 18: New sunspot region brings activity

A new sunspot region on the southeast limb (edge) has raised activity significantly. After a very quiet weekend on the sun, this as-yet-unnumbered region began to rotate into view and has already produced three M flares in the past 24 hours at the time of this writing (11 UTC). These flares appeared as peaks in the X-ray output of the sun. But we can also see a slow rise in the sun’s overall X-ray output, indicating an increase in baseline activity from the new region. Will it continue to surge, or will it run out of power? Stay tuned!
Last 24 hours: Sun activity picked up significantly during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). Flaring increased to 21 flares – three M and 18 C flares – after 13 C flares in the previous period. The initial increase in flaring came in the form of six C flares from AR3889. The focus then switched to the unnumbered region in the southeast rotating into view. This area has released eight flares: three M flares and five C flares. This included the largest flare of the past day, an M1.7 at 7:36 UTC. A corresponding R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar. The list of M flares is:

• M1.0 at 05:27 UTC on November 18 from the unnumbered region in the southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.
• M1.7 at 07:36 UTC on November 18 from the unnumbered region in the southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.
• M1.3 at 08:01 UTC on November 18 from the unnumbered region in the southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.

There are eight sunspot regions on the solar disk. Two regions are showing potential with a beta-gamma magnetic complexity: the departing AR3889 and the new AR3901. The remaining regions are simple alpha or beta regions.

Sun news November 17: Prominences are huge

Happy Sun day! It is a quiet weekend. Sun activity from flaring is low. Even the active filaments observed over the past several days and taking some time off. Filaments did take the spotlight over the past few days. On this calm day, an observation of a prominence sitting above the western limb (edge) allows the scale of these structures of solar plasma to be compared to the size of Earth. They are huge! Now we wait to see if the sun will fling more of these our way. Stay tuned.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity reached low levels with 13 small flares during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). The solar disk is almost devoid of sunspot groups compared to the past few weeks. There are five regions, three with the simplest magnetic complexity, alpha, one beta region, and the previously beta-gamma-delta region, AR3889, now a simpler beta-gamma region. Part of AR3889’s change is at least partly due to its location near the limb (edge), but maybe also a real loss of complexity. The region has retained beta-gamma-delta complexity during most of its journey across the sun, yet its activity level was rather disappointing.

Join EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd and heliophysicist C. Alex Young of NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center for your regular Friday update on the sun, our local star. Click here for a replay of yesterday’s livestream.

Sun news November 16: Jet action from the east

Last month, scientists officially declared we’re at the peak of Solar Cycle 25. Considering that, the past few days have been relatively quiet in terms of flaring. We’ve seen only a few small M or “moderate” flares over the last several days. In addition, the Earth-facing side of the sun has just four active regions. But never fear. There appears to be something around the corner. Observing the sun in the 304 angstrom extreme ultraviolet wavelength of light reveals a flurry of plasma jets from just over the eastern limb (edge), the side of the sun just now rotating into view. There’s nothing obvious in helioseismology images (which let us glimpse the sun’s far side). But these jets could indicate … something, a possible active region that might soon rotate into view. Stay tuned to find out what’s next.
Last 24 hours: Two M (medium-sized) flares happened during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today). They kept sun activity at moderate. That seems like not much. But the past day’s sun increased flare production compared with earlier this week. Over the past day, we had 14 flares in total, the two M and 12 C flares. The largest event was an M1.6 from active region AR3893 at 1:37 UTC on November 16. It caused an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast of Australia. The second M flare at 12:18 UTC on November 15 from AR3893 caused an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the south Atlantic Ocean.

Sun news November 15: More mighty prominences and filaments

The last 24 hours gave us another potpourris of solar prominences, also known as filaments when seen against the background of the sun. In particular, the eastern rim of the sun saw prominences (the name for filaments when seen against the background of space) erupting from the sun’s far side. Why do we have two names for these solar phenomena, if they’re the same thing? In the past, scientists thought filaments and prominences were different phenomena; now we know the difference in how they look is just a matter of perspective. Both are great ropes of sun-stuff, which, when they leave the sun, are called coronal mass ejections (CME). The one that erupted from the solar disk over the past day probably isn’t Earth-directed; analysts are determining whether it is or not as we write (11 UTC on November 15). Solar flares get our attention. But filaments and prominence are very beautiful and exciting to observe. And – like flares and like sunspot regions themselves – filaments and prominences are more common when, as now, the sun is at Solar Maximum, the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity. Heliophysicist C. Alex Young – a co-author of this daily sun update – and EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd will be talking about the wealth of prominences this week in our regular Friday Sun News of the Week livestream. Click for the “notify me” button.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity was moderate, with an M (medium-sized) flare and six C (common) flares. If we were using filaments and prominences to gauge sun activity, we’d have to say it’s been on the high side all week! But flares it is. The largest flare of the past 24 hours, an M1.1, came from AR3893 at 1:46 UTC today (November 15). It caused an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Coral Sea, off the northeast coast of Australia. AR3889 remained the lead flare producer over the past day. It still has its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, indicating a potential for more flaring. The region is now approaching the sun’s western limb (edge), so it’ll soon rotate out of view. A new region, AR3894, emerged in the sun’s northeast quadrant, bringing the number of regions on the solar disk to four during our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today).

Sun news November 14: Mighty prominences

Every day this week, we’ve seen spectacular prominences. They are great fingers and loops of solar material from the sun’s chromosphere (lower atmosphere), lifted high into the solar corona (outer atmosphere) by magnetic fields. They’re called filaments when seen against the background of the sun, but prominences when seen extending from the limb (edge). Another beautiful prominence erupted off the sun’s eastern limb in the past 24 hours. These huge structures can extend many hundreds of thousands of miles from the sun’s surface, sometimes becoming as wide as the sun itself! That’s about as wide as 100 planet Earths. When they become unstable, they can erupt and produce coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The one today produced a CME, but given its location, the CME is not headed toward Earth. One cool thing about prominence eruptions is that – because they can be so large – we can often see them occurring on the far side of the sun. See images of two more famous prominences, below.
Last 24 hours: An isolated M (medium) flare kept sun activity at moderate. The sun produced 10 flares, an M and nine C (common) flares. The largest flare was an M1.7 flare at 17:08 UTC on November 13 from active region AR3889. A R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over Brazil. All this occurred during our observation period, between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today. Sunspot region AR3889 is the lead flare producer with six flares: the M and five C flares. The region retained its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, indicating it could produce more M and X (strong) flares. The remaining regions have simpler alpha or beta configurations, with not as much potential for flaring. The sun has eight active regions on its Earth-facing side. There is a newcomer on the southeast limb (edge): AR3893.

Sun news November 13: Auroras possible tonight and tomorrow

Fast solar wind fired out from a coronal hole could disturb Earth’s magnetic field tonight and tomorrow up to active levels (Kp=4), and possibly even bring G1 (minor) geomagnetic storming (Kp=5). This could mean auroras at high latitudes. Clear skies, aurora chasers!
Last 24 hours: An isolated M flare brought the period’s solar activity up to moderate levels. Between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today we observed 12 Cs and one M flare, an increase on the eight flares fired in the previous period. The largest was a M1.0 flare at 0:22 UTC on November 12 from active region AR3889. An R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over Fiji Island. The lead flare producer was AR3889 with 10 flares: the M and nine C flares. The region retained its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, indicating it could produce more Ms and even X (strong) flares. The remaining regions have simpler alpha or beta configurations. The sun has six active regions on its Earth-facing side.

Sun news November 12: Auroras possible tomorrow

NOAA is forecasting auroral displays at high northern latitudes over the next two days, as fast solar wind from a coronal hole reaches Earth. It should stir up a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm. Stay tuned!
Last 24 hours: Sun activity has dropped to low, with only C-class flares produced over the past day. We also saw a reduction in flare quantity, with only eight flares produced between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today. The largest was a C4.4 flare produced by AR3889 on November 11 at 14:28 UTC. This region was the past day’s lead producer with six C flares. It also kept its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, indicating it could still produce some higher activity. The region grew over the period and has now been split into two regions, giving us AR3892 and the original AR3889. AR3883 still shows its beta-gamma configuration, while the remaining regions are simpler alpha or beta regions. Today, the sun has seven active regions on its Earth-facing side. Besides the aforementioned AR3892, born from the AR3889 split, there is one more newcomer in the southeast quadrant: AR3891.

Sun news November 11: Almost-X flare, auroras last night

At 11:51 UTC yesterday, sunspot region AR3889 blasted an impressive M9.4 flare, almost reaching the X flare threshold (an X flare is the equivalent of an M10). Also blasting three more M flares over the past day, AR3889 is showcasing the high flare potential associated with its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity. There was also excitement at Earth last night, where auroras were reported well into the northern U.S. states. The G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm that caused the displays was started by the glancing blow of a coronal mass ejection (CME), and continued due to fast solar wind from a coronal hole.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity jumped to high over the past day. The increase is due to the four M flares, all from AR3889. The region began our observation period (11 UTC to 11 UTC) with a near-X flare – M9.4 – followed by an M4.9, an M1.2, and an M1.4. The largest event was the M9.4 at 11:51 UTC on November 10. It caused R2 (moderate) radio blackouts over the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. AR3889 produced the majority of the flares in our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today): 12 flares, with the four M flares and eight C flares. AR3883 lost its delta region, while AR3889 maintained its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, meaning it maintains the potential for major flaring. The remaining regions are simpler alpha or beta regions. The sun has six numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side. The list of M flares over the 24-hour observation period is as follows:

• M9.4 at 11:51 UTC on November 10 from AR3889. R2 (moderate) radio blackout over the Atlantic off the coast of Africa.
• M4.9 at 20:09 UTC on November 10 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific.
• M1.2 at 05:07 UTC on November 11 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.
• M1.4 at 05:36 UTC on November 11 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.

Sun news November 10: Back to moderate, with 2 Ms

Happy sun day! After a day of low activity, the sun has increased its activity back to moderate levels with two M flares. Two flare-producing regions – AR3889 and AR3883 – are both magnetically complex. AR3889 showed some of its flare potential with these two M flares. Will the two regions produce more flares? Maybe. A large coronal hole could also provide some geomagnetic activity and perhaps some auroras. Stay tuned!
Last 24 hours: After a day at low levels, sun activity has increased to moderate over the past day. The increase is due to a set of M flares, both from AR3889, an M1.3 at 20:44 UTC on November 9 and an M4.2 at 00:15 UTC on November 10. Both events caused R1 (minor) radio blackouts over the Pacific Ocean and Fiji, respectively. AR3889 produced the majority of the flares in our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today): 14 flares, with the two M flares and five C flares. AR3883 and AR3889 both have beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, with the potential for more flaring. The remaining regions are simpler alpha or beta regions. The sun has seven numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side.

This week, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 7th and final flyby of Venus. This gravity assist provided the boost the spacecraft needed to within an unprecedented 3.86 million miles (6.21 million km) of the sun’s surface on December 24. It’ll be the closest any human-made object has been to the sun. As one scientist commented, “We are basically almost landing on a star.” EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd discussed this landmark event with Dave Adalian during our regular Friday Sun News of the Week livestream. Watch in the player above, or watch on YouTube.

Sun news November 9: Auroras possible at northern latitudes

We have a chance for more enhanced auroral displays at northern latitudes tonight. Earth’s magnetic field was disturbed up to active levels, reaching the Kp = 4 threshold, around 20 UTC on November 8. Conditions may extend today through tomorrow. The enhancement is due to fast solar wind from solar wind from the coronal holes on the sun, along with some lingering influence from a glancing blow by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that brushed Earth on November 7. So we might have conditions for a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm, with auroral display at northern latitudes, perhaps reaching as far south as the latitudes of the states Maine and Michigan in the U.S.
Last 24 hours: After very high solar activity earlier in the week, today sun actiivty is back to low, with only C (common) flares. During our observation period (11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today), our star produced 14 C flares. The lead flare producer was AR3889 with nine C flares. At 0:08 UTC on November 9, AR3889 produced the largest flare, a C7.4 … nearly an M (moderate) flare. AR3889 is the only active region with beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity. For now, the sun has seven numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side.

The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar presale is here! They make great gifts! Get yours today. Makes a great gift.

Sun news November 8: Parker Solar Probe’s last Venus flyby

Parker Solar Probe is now on its way to its closest approach to our sun. The sun probe executed its final Venus flyby on November 6. The flyby gave the spacecraft a boost – called a gravity assist – needed to complete its record-breaking close approach to the sun’s surface on December 24, 2024. At that time, the probe will reach within 3.86 million miles of the sun, breaking its own record for the closest human-made object to the sun’s surface. And the Venus flybys themselves are also of high interest. During this one, Parker Solar Probe literally skimmed the Venus cloudtops, coming within 233 miles (376 km) of the planet’s surface. At an earlier Venus flyby, Parker Solar Probe peered through the dense atmosphere of Venus to capture the first-ever visible to near-visible (near infrared) observation of the planet’s surface (see image below or come to our livestream today for more images). What new science will come from this final Venus visit? We don’t know yet … but can’t wait to find out. You can also read more about Parker Solar Probe at the mission’s website.
Last 24 hours: Three M flares over the past 24 hours brought solar activity to moderate. The total flare production of the period was 15 flares, three M and 12 C flares sparked between 11 UTC and 11 UTC today. The largest flare was an M2.3 flare produced at 15:06 UTC on November 7 from active region AR3883. An R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over Brazil. Active region AR3883 kept its magnetic complexity and now AR3886 joined it with a beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity. Both have significant flare potential, and chances for more M and even X flares. An incoming active region in the southeast, yesterday’s lead flare producer, now labeled AR3889, shows a delta in its configuration, so it may have more to offer. The lead flare producer honor goes back to AR3883. This time it produced nine flares: two M and seven C including the largest flare of the period. The sun has seven numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side. The list of X and M flares over the last 24-hour observation period is:

• M1.4 at 12:02 UTC on November 7 from AR3889. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off west the coast of Africa.
• M2.3 at 15:06 UTC on November 7 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Brazil. The largest.
• M1.5 at 3:01 UTC on November 7 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout off the north coast of Australia.

The 2025 EarthSky Lunar Calendar presale is here! They make great gifts! Get yours today.

Sun news November 7: Sun activity very high, with an X and 14 Ms!

The sun released an X2.39 flare, peaking at 13:40 UTC on November 6, 2024. It came from sunspot region AR3883. The flare was impulsive, meaning it didn’t last long in time and probably didn’t have a significant coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with it.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity reached very high levels with an X flare and 14 M flares over the past 24 hours. The total flare production was 19 flares: the X, 14 M, and four C flares. All this occurred during our observation period between 11 UTC and 11 UTC today. The largest flare of the day was the X2.3 at 13:40 UTC on November 6 from active region AR3883. An R3 (strong) radio blackout affected an area over the Atlantic Ocean. After the X flare, AR3883 continued showing a beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity. It already showed this magnetic classification had significant flare potential, and chances are it has more in store. An incoming active region in the southeast is the lead flare producer of the period; it released 12 flares: 10 M, and two C flares. You can see this region as unnumbered on today’s sunspot chart; it’s just been numbered AR3889. The sun has seven numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side. The list of X and M flares over the last 24-hour observation period is:

• M1.5 at 12:04 UTC on November 6 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa.
• M1.2 at 13:02 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• X2.3 at 13:40 UTC on November 6 from AR3883. R3 (strong) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean. The largest.
• M5.3 at 14:38 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Brazil.
• M1.2 at 17:18 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off Chile’s west coast.
• M1.2 at 18:59 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean.
• M1.3 at 20:42 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean.
• M1.1 at 23:05 UTC on November 6 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Fiji Island.
• M1.1 at 23:16 UTC on November 6 from AR3887. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Fiji Island.
• M1.6 at 0:04 UTC on November 7 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Vanuatu Island.
• M2.5 at 1:27 UTC on November 7 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over New Caledonia.
• M2.5 at 4:20 UTC on November 7 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout off the northwest coast of Australia.
• M1.3 at 7:26 UTC on November 7 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean.
• M1.6 at 7:43 UTC on November 7 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean.
• M2.7 at 7:54 UTC on November 7 from an unnumbered active region southeast. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar.

Sun news November 6: Exciting sunspot region comes into view

An exciting sunspot region on the southeast limb has almost fully rotated into view. Numbered AR3886, this region is showing good promise for action, appearing magnetically complex and very large. The cluster is so extended that it may be split into two separately numbered active regions. We’ll wait for a verdict from the specialists after it comes into full view. And it’s not the only notable region on the Earth-viewed sun currently; this week’s lead flare producer AR3883 remains prolific, firing out five of the eight M flares produced in the past day.
Last 24 hours: Solar activity remains high thanks to eight M flares over the past 24 hours. Our star produced 17 flares between 11 UTC and 11 UTC today: eight Ms and nine C flares. The largest flare of the period was an M5.9 at 8:50 UTC on November 5 from AR3882. A corresponding R2 (moderate) radio blackout affected an area over Madagascar. Active region AR3883 kept its position as the lead flare producer of the period with five Ms and four C flares. It also maintained its beta-gamma-delta magnetic complexity, the magnetic classification with the most significant flare potential. The sun has nine numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side. The list of M flares over the last 24-hour observation period is:

• M1.2 at 13:39 UTC on November 5 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M2.9 at 14:19 UTC on November 5 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M4.2 at 15:26 UTC on November 5 from AR3872. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Brazil.
• M1.8 at 15:55 UTC on November 5 from AR3886. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Brazil.
• M1.1 at 02:38 UTC on November 6 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout off the northeast coast of Australia.
• M1.2 at 03:09 UTC on November 6 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout off the north coast of Australia.
• M3.0 at 08:04 UTC on November 6 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean.
• M5.9 at 08:50 UTC on November 6 from AR3882. R2 (moderate) radio blackout over Madagascar. The largest.

Sun news November 5: Activity high, new region shows promise

Sun activity remains high, largely thanks to four M flares from AR3883, the most productive region currently on the Earth-facing sun. But a newer region, AR3886, has rotated further into view from the eastern limb (edge) and is showing potential, firing an M2.6 flare this morning. It is too soon to accurately classify the region, but it currently appears to have a promising beta-gamma magnetic complexity. AR3883, meanwhile, has retained its beta-gamma-delta complexity, the classification with the greatest flare potential. It’s been living up to this potential, firing 11 M flares in the past 48 hours. And one of these M flares on November 4 produced a blast of sun-stuff – a coronal mass ejection (CME) – that should give Earth a glancing blow either late on November 6 or early on November 7. It’s anticipated to cause G1 (minor) geomagnetic storming.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity is high after five M flares were fired in the past 24 hours. However, we did see a decrease in flare productivity from 26 flares in the previous period to 16 fired between 11 UTC and 11 UTC today. Alongside the five M flares, we saw 11 C flares. The largest flare of the period was an M5.6 at 15:38 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. An R2 (moderate) radio blackout affected an area over the Atlantic Ocean. The lead flare producer of the period was again sunspot region AR3883, with nine flares: four Ms and five Cs. At present, nine numbered active regions adorn our star’s Earth-facing side. The list of M flares over the last 24-hour observation period is:

• M1.2 at 14:28 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M1.3 at 15:08 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M5.6 at 15:38 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R2 (moderate) radio blackout over the Brazil.
• M2.6 at 6:54 UTC on November 5 from a newcomer AR3886. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean.
• M1.0 at 9:23 UTC on November 5 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Mozambique Channel.

Sun news November 4: Sun activity rising with 10 M flares

Sun activity is rising, with an impressive 26 flares sparked during the past day. Ten of these were M (moderate) flares. Most of the excitement came from sunspot region AR3883, positioned close to the limb (edge) in the southeast. It was flaring all day long, producing seven of the M flares. It’s not a particularly large sunspot region, but it has a beta-delta magnetic configuration, meaning that it’s a promising candidate for big flares this week. Let’s see what it’s got in store!
Last 24 hours: The 10 M flares of the past day raised sun activity to high. Flare productivity in general also increased, with 26 flares blasted by our star between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today, twice the previous day’s total of 13. Alongside the 10 Ms, we observed 16 C (common) flares. The largest flare of the period was an M3.8 flare produced at 1:40 UTC on November 4 by AR3883. An R1 (minor) radio blackout affected an area over the Coral Sea near Australia. The lead flare producer of the period was sunspot region AR3883, which blasted out 11 flares: seven Ms and four Cs. At present, 11 numbered active regions adorn our star’s Earth-facing side. Three are newcomers: AR3883, AR3884 and AR3886. Here is the list of the M flares of the past 24 hours:

• M1.4 at 15:24 UTC on November 3 from AR3868. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M1.3 at 17:53 UTC on November 3 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Chile.
• M1.5 at 00:57 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Fiji Islands.
• M3.8 at 1:40 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Coral Sea near Australia.
• M1.1 at 3:53 UTC on November 4 from AR3886. R1 (minor) radio blackout over northwest coast of Australia.
• M1.0 at 4:15 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Australia.
• M1.4 at 4:34 UTC on November 4 from AR3878. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Australia.
• M1.4 at 7:08 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the middle of the Indian Ocean.
• M1.2 at 8:40 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Madagascar.
• M1.6 at 10:17 UTC on November 4 from AR3883. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Zimbabwe.

Sun news November 2: Sun activity moderate, with 4 M flares

After the excitement of the X flare blasted out on October 31 – and a list of Ms yesterday – sun activity is back to moderate. We had four relatively mild M flares over the past day. We were also watching for possible Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the October 31 and November 1 X2.0 and M flares, but none were observed. But energetic protons from those events did reach us at Earth, resulting in almost an S1 (minor) radiation storm and causing a shortwave blackout at Earth’s South Pole.
Last 24 hours: The four M (moderate) flares kept sun activity moderate over the past day. Between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today, we saw a total of 11 flares, the four above mentioned Ms, plus seven C (common) flares. The largest of the period was an M2.0 flare produced by active region AR3878 in the northeast at 14:31 UTC on November 1. The main flare producer of the period was sunspot region AR3876, with four flares. At present, 11 numbered active regions adorn our star’s Earth-facing side. There’s a newcomer in the sun’s southeast quadrant numbered AR3881. Here is the list of the M flares of the past 24 hours:

• M1.3 at 12:52 UTC on November 1 from AR3876. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
• M2.0 at 14:31 UTC on November 1 from AR3878. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the east coast of Brazil. The largest.
• M1.0 at 7:38 UTC on November 2 from AR3869. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean.
• M1.2 at 8:31 UTC on November 2 from AR3876. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Madagascar.

The sun is at Solar Maximum, the peak of its 11-year cycle. And we’ve had a couple of recent solar storm events that caused big geomagnetic storms on Earth … and auroras at lower-than-usual latitudes. During these events, sun watchers wondered, were Earth’s power grids affected? Were there outages? Shawn Dahl is a spaceweather forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, CO. We spoke with him on Friday, November 1 about NOAA’s solar flare warning system, used to try to keep U.S. electric grids up and running. Watch in the player above, or on YouTube.

Sun news November 1: BAM BAM! X flare and an almost-X

A single active region, AR3878, produced an X flare and an almost-X flare in less than an hour last night. It blasted the X flare at 21:20 UTC on October 31. It blasted the almost-X (an M9.5) shortly afterwards, at 21:54 UTC. In fact, we can say AR3878 produced three strong flares in less than two hours; it had an M4.6 flare at 21:10 UTC. This guy has been the lead flare producer of this week. We are awaiting the results of further modeling and analysis to determine if there are coronal mass ejections (CMEs) headed Earth’s way. Stay tuned for more sun news.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity is high with the production of an X flare over the past day. In addition, there were eight M (moderate) flares and four C (common) class flares for a total 13 flares over the past day. More X and M flares than C flares! All this occurred between 11 UTC yesterday and 11 UTC today. The largest flare of the period was a the X2.0 flare. Active region AR3876 produced the greatest number of flares, seven in all: two Ms plus five C flares. Today the sun bears 11 numbered active regions on its Earth-facing side. There is a newcomer in the sun’s southeast quadrant numbered AR3880. Here is the list of the M and X flares of the past 24 hours:
-M2.4 at 12:54 UTC on October 31 from AR3875. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
-M1.2 at 13:59 UTC on October 31 from AR3876. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.
-M1.0 at 19:97 UTC on October 31 from AR3876. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean.
-M4.6 at 21:10 UTC on October 31 from AR3878. R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of French Polynesia.
-X2.0 at 21:20 UTC on October 31 from AR3878. R3 (strong) radio blackout over Pacific Ocean off the east coast of the French Polynesia. The largest.
-M9.5 at 21:54 UTC on October 31 from AR3878. R2 (moderate) radio blackout over the French Polynesia.
-M2.8 at 22:49 UTC on October 31 from AR3878. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Fiji Island.
-M1.3 at 2:16 UTC on November 1 from AR3878. R1 (minor) radio blackout over Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia.
-M1.1 at 10:14 UTC on November 1 from AR3876.R1 (minor) radio blackout over Angola in Africa.