Sun news: Sun-stuff could reach Earth this week

Sun news April 22: Sun-stuff could reach Earth this week

Today’s top story: Yesterday we reported two fiery prominences erupting at almost the same time in opposite directions. Now we know that this double eruption sent a blast of solar material – a coronal mass ejection (CME) – in the direction of Earth. This might deliver a glancing blow around April 24. Combined with fast solar wind from a coronal hole, this could provide auroral activity. Stay tuned!

Past 24 hours of sun news

(11 UTC April 21 – 11 UTC April 22)

Flare activity

Over the past day, solar activity stayed at low levels. Only C- and B-class flares occurred. However, flare counts jumped sharply. In total, the sun fired 19 flares: 13 C-class (common) and 6 B-class (weak). That is a clear pickup compared to the 11 flares the day before.

• Strongest flare: C4.0 from newcomer AR4420 in the northeast. It peaked at 11:50 UTC on April 21.
• Lead flare producer: AR4420 dominated almost entirely, firing 18 of the 19 flares. These included the strongest C-class event. The only other flare came from yesterday’s lead producer, now officially numbered AR4421.

Sunspot regions

The Earth-facing side of our sun shows 4 active regions today. Notably, three of them are newcomers: AR4420 in the northeast, AR4421 in the southeast, and AR4422 in the northwest just south of AR4419.

AR4419 keeps its beta-gamma magnetic complexity. However, it now has company. AR4420 also carries a beta-gamma setup. As a result, both regions hold potential for more C-class and even M-class flares.

Blasts from the sun?

Besides the partial halo event in our top story, available coronagraph imagery showed no other Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind

Solar wind speeds eased to moderately high levels. Even so, the coronal hole’s fast solar wind stream kept driving active conditions around Earth.

Bz and magnetic coupling

The Bz component pointed south late on April 21. Then, at 21:30 UTC, it swung north, and stayed that way for the rest of the period. Southward dips let solar wind energy pour into Earth’s magnetic shield and fuel auroras.

Earth’s magnetic field

After yesterday’s G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm, Earth’s field calmed down. Conditions ranged from quiet to active (Kp 1–4). Specifically, one Kp 4 (active) three-hour period occurred around 15 UTC on April 21. Since then, conditions have eased. Currently, the Kp index sits at level 1.

What’s ahead? Sun–Earth forecast

Flare activity forecast

Forecasters expect low levels of flare activity to continue. A chance exists for more C-class flares. In addition, a slight chance remains for M-class (moderate) flares from AR4419 and newcomer AR4420. X-class (strong) flare chances remain very low.

Geomagnetic activity forecast

• April 22 (Tuesday): Expect mostly quiet conditions (Kp 1–2). However, a slight chance for unsettled periods remains as the fast solar wind stream fades. As a result, aurora viewing should shrink to the highest latitudes.
• April 23 (Wednesday): Expect mostly quiet conditions (Kp 1–2). The coronal hole stream should move past its peak. Solar wind should then drop to background levels.
• April 24 (Thursday): The glancing blow from the partial halo CME may arrive. Combined with any lingering coronal hole effects, this could lift conditions to unsettled or even active levels. Consequently, aurora watchers at higher latitudes should keep an eye on the sky.

Sun news April 21: More geomagnetic storms last night

Earth’s magnetic field remained disturbed for a third night in a row last night. The lingering effects of fast solar wind from a coronal hole rattled our planet’s magnetic shield to cause another round of G1 (minor) geomagnetic storming, bringing auroras to far northern latitudes. Did you catch a glimpse? Share your photos with us!

Past 24 hours of sun news

(11 UTC April 20 – 11 UTC April 21)

Flare activity

Over the past day, solar activity stayed at low levels. In total, the sun fired 11 flares: 5 C-class (common) and 6 B-class (weak). Notably, flare counts picked up compared to recent days.

• Strongest flare: C5.3 from an incoming region in the southeast, not yet named. It peaked at 6:02 UTC on April 21.
• Lead flare producer: This as-yet-unnumbered southeastern region fired at least 5 of the 11 flares. These included the strongest C-class event. Meanwhile, a second incoming region in the northeast, also unnamed, added 4 flares: 3 C-class and 1 B-class.

Sunspot regions

Currently, the Earth-facing sun shows a sparse sunspot count. Only one region has an official number. The estimated sunspot number sits around 40. That is well below the Solar Cycle 25 average for this phase.

AR4419 remains the most complex (beta-gamma) region on the disk. However, it only fired B-class flares this period. Two incoming regions may soon provide some action.

Blasts from the sun?

Available coronagraph imagery showed no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the period.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind

Solar wind speeds stayed elevated throughout the period. The coronal hole’s fast solar wind stream kept driving active conditions around Earth. Speeds held at moderate-to-high levels.

The Bz component pointed mostly south through the period. Each southward dip let solar wind energy pour into Earth’s magnetic shield and fuel auroras. However, at the time of this writing, the Bz has swung back north.

Earth’s magnetic field

Over the past 24 hours, Earth’s magnetic field ranged from unsettled to active, with bursts of geomagnetic storming. G1 (minor) storm intervals (Kp 5) ran from 15:00 UTC on April 20 to 3:00 UTC on April 21. Since then, Earth’s field has eased to Kp 4 levels. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits at level 4.

Sun news April 20: G2 storm eases, aurora fades

Today’s top story: Earth’s magnetic field remained restless over the past 24 hours. Our planet is still under the influence of a coronal hole high-speed stream that has been sweeping past us for days.

As a result, geomagnetic conditions reached G1 (minor) and even briefly G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. Specifically, Kp reached as high as 6 early in the period. That opened the door for aurora displays from places like Seattle, Minneapolis, Edinburgh, and possibly Toronto and northern England.

What drove the action? Solar wind speeds ranged from roughly 440–570 km/s. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) ranged between 3 and 12 nT. In addition, the Bz component swung between +9 and ?7 nT. Each southward dip helped energize Earth’s upper atmosphere and fuel auroral activity.

The good news for aurora watchers: unsettled-to-active conditions should linger through Monday and Tuesday before gradually fading.

On the solar front, the sun took a breather. Activity dropped to very low levels, with only B-class background flares and a single C-class flare recorded. In addition, a filament eruption in the southeast launched a narrow coronal mass ejection (CME). However, it appears unlikely to hit Earth.

Past 24 hours of sun news

(11 UTC April 19 – 11 UTC April 20)

Flare activity

Over the past day, solar activity held at low levels. In total, the sun produced 10 flares: 1 C-class (common) and 9 B-class (weak).

• Strongest flare: C1.0 from AR4419, peaking at 8:33 UTC on April 20.
• Lead flare producer: AR4419 fired at least 5 of the 10 tracked flares, including the only C-class event. Meanwhile, AR4416 contributed 3 B-class flares. Some B-class events came from unidentified sources, likely tied to filament activity near the equator in the east.

Sunspot regions

Currently, the Earth-facing solar disk shows a sparse sunspot population. The estimated international sunspot number – a measure of long-term solar activity – sits around 40. That is well below the Solar Cycle 25 average for this phase.

AR4419 (beta-gamma) remains the most complex region on the disk. Despite its beta-gamma setup, it showed little overall change during the period. Even so, this region remains the most likely candidate for any jump in activity over the coming days.

Blasts from the sun?

A filament eruption occurred in the southeast around 16 UTC on April 19. Shortly after, a narrow coronal mass ejection (CME) appeared in coronagraph imagery. Forecasters are currently analyzing this CME for any Earth-directed component. However, the bulk of the material will most likely miss Earth. Available coronagraph imagery showed no other Earth-directed CMEs during the period.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind

Solar wind conditions remained elevated throughout the period. The coronal hole high-speed stream continued to dominate conditions around Earth. The Bz component swung between north and south, with each southward dip opening the door for solar wind energy to pour into Earth’s magnetic shield and fuel auroras.

Earth’s magnetic field

Over the past 24 hours, Earth’s magnetic field held mostly at unsettled-to-active levels. However, G1 (minor) storm intervals (Kp 5) were recorded between 6:00–9:00 UTC on April 19. Currently, conditions are easing back toward unsettled-to-active levels as the coronal hole stream gradually wanes.

Sun news April 19: Auroras light up skies as G2 storm continues

Auroras danced across northern skies last night, as Earth remained under the influence of a powerful coronal hole high-speed stream. These charged solar particles had started sweeping in late on April 17. The geomagnetic storm intensified over the past day, climbing from G1 (minor) to G2 (moderate) levels.

What fueled the display? Solar wind speeds surged past 600 km/s, and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) swung strongly southward to -14 nT. Those factors opened the door for charged particles to pour in and energize Earth’s upper atmosphere. As a result, colorful displays were visible from locations as far south as Toronto, Chicago, and northern England, keeping aurora-watchers busy overnight.

Looking ahead, the fast stream should peak near 700 km/s on April 19. That means another round of G1-to-G2 storming is possible before conditions gradually ease. Share your beautiful aurora photos with us!

Past 24 hours of sun news

(11 UTC April 18 – 11 UTC April 19)

Flare activity: Over the past day, solar activity held at low levels, with no C-class or stronger flares recorded during the reporting window. Only 4 B-class flares were detected.

• Strongest flare: B4.4 from AR4416 (N20W87) at 23:13 UTC on April 18. This was a minor event, well below the threshold for any radio blackout. Notably, the period’s largest event in the broader NOAA summary was a C1.6 flare from AR4416 peaking at 7:04 UTC on April 18, just before our EarthSky reporting window opened.
• Lead flare producer: AR4416 fired 3 of the 4 B-class events, though it is now rotating beyond the western limb. Meanwhile, AR4419 produced only a single B4.9 flare.

Sunspot regions: Currently, the Earth-facing solar disk shows 3 numbered active regions, though the disk remains notably quiet with an estimated international sunspot number around 47. AR4416 (alpha) continued rotating around the western limb during the period. Its geoeffective influence is now waning as it moves out of view. AR4419 (beta-gamma) is the most magnetically complex region on the disk and is approaching the central meridian, a geoeffective position. Despite the beta-gamma classification, it produced only a single B-class flare during the period. Even so, this region remains the primary candidate for any M-class activity in the coming days. AR4415 (alpha) remained unchanged and magnetically simple throughout the period.

Blasts from the sun? Available coronagraph imagery showed no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the period. However, an approximately 30-degree-long eruptive filament lifted off the solar disk between 7:30 and 8:23 UTC on April 18, visible in GONG H-alpha and GOES-19 SUVI imagery. The associated CME erupted off the southeast limb, but modeling confirmed it will not impact Earth. In addition, a small chance remains for a glancing blow early on April 19 from a CME that left the sun on April 15. Forecasters expect this CME to pass south and east of Earth’s orbit, though a weak interaction cannot be entirely ruled out.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind conditions were significantly enhanced throughout the past day as the negative-polarity coronal hole high-speed stream continued to drive elevated conditions. Speeds rose from approximately 370–400 km/s early in the period to a maximum of around 600 km/s. The interplanetary magnetic field (CME) total field peaked at a strong 17 nT. The Bz component pointed mostly southward early in the period, reaching a maximum southward deflection of -14 nT, highly favorable for aurora production. It then gradually swung weakly northward by the end of the period.

Notably, this is a large coronal hole that has increased in size since the previous solar rotation. As a result, speeds should continue climbing toward 700 km/s.

Earth’s magnetic field: Over the period, Earth’s magnetic field was significantly disturbed, reaching G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. The Kp index reached 6 (G2) during the 6:00–9:00 UTC window on April 18. In addition, G1 (minor) storm intervals (Kp = 5) were recorded at 3:00–6:00 UTC and 9:00–12:00 UTC on April 18. The UK Met Office issued a Kp Alert for G1 conditions between 6:00 and 9:00 UTC on April 19, indicating storm-level activity persisted into the current day. Aurora was visible across northern latitudes, including Scotland, northern England, and similar geomagnetic latitudes.

The sun in recent days

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Bottom line: Sun news for April 22, 2026: A blast of sun-stuff may glance Earth on April 24, bringing an increased chance for auroras.

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