Sun news: Eagerly awaited sunspot region arrives

Sun news July 17: Eagerly awaited sunspot region arrives

(11 UTC July 16 – 11 UTC July 17)

Today’s top story: A long-awaited sunspot region that’s been blasting flares from behind the southeastern horizon has finally emerged into view. Meet AR4491! Its position close to the sun’s edge makes analysis difficult, but forecasters have assigned it an alpha configuration for now. The region also appears smaller than expected. But, again, its location near the horizon can make it appear smaller than it is. Its true size and power will becomer apparent in the coming days! For now, it remained the leading flare producer of the past day and also fired the strongest flare of this period, a C5.3.

Past 24 hours on the sun

Flare activity: Sun activity over the past day remained at low levels. In total, the sun fired 3 C-class (common) flares.

• Strongest flare: A C5.3 from AR4491. It peaked at 21:35 UTC on July 16.
• Lead flare producer: Newcomer active region AR4491 stayed at the top. This time, the sunspot region produced two C flares, including the strongest of the period.

Sunspot regions: Currently, the sun shows four numbered active regions on its Earth-viewed side. Notably, the newcomer sunspot region received its official label: AR4491.

• AR4489 (alpha): This sunspot region stayed stable during the period. It continued to show an alpha complexity.
• AR4482 (alpha): This region kept its simpler alpha configuration. It now sits at the very edge of the southwest horizon. Meanwhile, it remains stable with no flare production.
• AR4490 (beta): This region exhibited minor decay with no flare activity.
• AR4491 (alpha): The newcomer still sits too close to the solar southeast horizon for a complete analysis. For starters, forecasters assigned it an alpha configuration.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery during the past day.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds continued at moderate levels throughout the period. No significant space weather occurred. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field stayed at weak levels.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The Bz component pointed northward from 21 UTC on July 16 through 2:30 UTC on July 17. For the rest of the period, it showed a southerly orientation. It still points south at the time of this writing. A southward configuration favors auroras because it opens Earth’s magnetic field to incoming solar wind energy.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field stayed at quiet levels during this period (Kp 1–2). At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits slightly above level 2.

What’s ahead? Sun–Earth forecast

Flare activity forecast: Today, forecasters raised their expectations to low-to-moderate levels of solar activity. The chance of an M-class (moderate) flare increased from 10% yesterday to 25% today. The newcomer, now numbered AR4491, likely drove this increase in the forecast, since it already produced an almost-M flare.

Meanwhile, the chance for an X-class (strong) flare remains at 1% today.

Geomagnetic activity forecast:

• July 17: Anticipate quiet-to-unsettled conditions with weak fast solar wind from a coronal hole.
• July 18: Quiet conditions may extend through the weekend.

Sun news July 16: A fiery sunspot region is showing its nose

(11 UTC July 15 – 11 UTC July 16)

A fiery sunspot region is showing its nose on the southeast solar horizon. It has not yet received an official number, since it still sits behind the edge of our star. But even so, over the past 24 hours it became the leading flare producer and fired the day’s strongest flare for the 2nd day running. Not bad for a region that hasn’t even fully arrived yet! Its strongest flare this time was a C8.9, just shy of the M (moderate) flare boundary. So all eyes are now on the southeast, where constant fiery prominences – long ropes of solar material – show that this region’s arrival is imminent. Stay tuned.

Past 24 hours on the sun

Flare activity: Over the past day, solar activity continued at low levels, though it edged close to moderate. In total, the sun fired six flares: five C-class (common) and one B-class (weak).

• Strongest flare: A C8.9 from the as-yet-unnumbered incoming region in the southeast. It peaked at 21:55 UTC on July 15.
• Lead flare producer: This as-yet-unnumbered newcomer stayed at the top. It blasted out four C flares in a row, including the strongest of the period.

Sunspot regions: Today, the sun continued to show two numbered active regions on its Earth-viewed side. However, the approaching sunspot region in the southeast is ready to come into view as a newcomer.

• AR4489 (alpha): This sunspot region showed no significant changes in magnetic configuration or size. It continued to have an alpha complexity. It produced one C flare.
• AR4482 (alpha): This region kept its simpler alpha configuration. It is ready to depart over the southwest horizon. It remains stable with no flare production.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery during the past day.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds averaged at moderate levels during the past day. No significant space weather occurred. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field decreased from moderate levels late on July 15 to weak levels early this morning.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The Bz component pointed mostly southward throughout the period, with a few weak northward peaks in the first half. At the time of this writing, its orientation has moved slightly north. As always, a southward configuration favors auroras because it opens Earth’s magnetic field to incoming solar wind energy.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled levels (Kp 1–3). At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits at level 3.

Sun news July 15: Solar action is on the far side

(11 UTC July 14 – 11 UTC July 15)

The most exciting solar activity is currently on the sun’s far side. We can tell thanks to the fiery prominences – long ropes of solar material – on the northwestern and southwestern solar horizons. Take a look at our top image. It seems the sunspot regions that just rotated to the far side are keeping up their fiery activity, which is spilling over the western limb (edge). For example, AR4485, which rotated to the far side a couple of days ago, registered a C1.2 flare during this period. This blast was likely larger than measured, since the sun itself blocked part of its light.

Past 24 hours on the sun

Flare activity: Solar activity stayed at low levels over the past day. In total, the sun fired four flares: three C-class (common) and one B-class (weak).

• Strongest flare: A C3.9 from an as yet unnumbered incoming region in the southeast, peaking at 12:39 UTC on July 14.
• Lead flare producer: This as yet unnumbered newcomer led the pack. It sparked two of the four tracked flares, including the strongest C-class event plus another C1.1 flare. Meanwhile, AR4489 produced a B flare and AR4485 added one C flare.

Sunspot regions: Today the sun shows two numbered active regions on its Earth-viewed side. Interestingly, the two sunspot regions sit in opposite directions, one in the southeast and the other in the southwest. As a result, they look almost symmetrically placed. Take a look at our sun image below.

• AR4489 (alpha): This moderately sized sunspot has received a number. It still sits close to the horizon, so its magnetic structure is difficult to analyze. For now, forecasters defined it as an alpha configuration until they can assess it better.
• AR4482 (alpha): This region stayed mostly unchanged, showing signs of decay with a simpler alpha configuration.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery during the past day.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds increased from moderate to moderate-high levels during the period. The combined effects of weak CME arrivals and fast solar wind drove this rise. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field registered strong levels late on July 14, before decreasing to moderate levels.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The Bz component pointed northward during the first half of this period. Then, at 18 UTC on July 14, it turned southward for the rest of the period. This configuration favors auroras because it opens Earth’s magnetic field to incoming solar wind energy.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to active levels (Kp 2–4). The Kp index reached 4 (active) during one three-hour period at 5:54 UTC on July 15. At the time of this writing, the Kp index continues at level 4.

Sun news July 14: Solar eruption stirs Earth’s magnetic field

(11 UTC July 13 – 11 UTC July 14)

The expected coronal mass ejection (CME) fired from the sun on July 10 did arrive. But it didn’t reach G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels. Instead, the geomagnetic disturbance peaked as a minor Kp 4 enhancement. Conditions reached that threshold at 00:00 UTC on July 14. The enhancement lasted for one three-hour synoptic period. What caused it? The combined punch of a waning coronal hole solar wind stream and the glancing arrival of the CME. Now we keep watching ahead, as more CMEs could brush past Earth over the next several days. So stay alert, aurora watchers!

Past 24 hours on the sun

Flare activity: Solar activity continued at low levels over the past day. The sun produced a total of 6 flares: 2 C-class (common) and 4 B-class (weak).

• Strongest flare was a C1.4 from AR4485 peaking at 17:47 UTC on July 13.
• Lead flare producer: AR4485 stayed on top once again. This time it dominated with 3 of the 6 tracked flares, including the strongest C-class event plus a couple of B flares. Meanwhile, AR4489 chased close behind with two flares: one C and one B.

Sunspot regions: Currently, 5 numbered active regions populate the Earth-viewed solar disk. Newcomer AR4489 received its number during this period as it showed its nose over the southeast horizon.

• AR4485 (beta-gamma): The period’s most complex and active region has left the building. Even so, it keeps flaring from the far side, at the very edge of the solar southwestern limb. Observers spotted a beautiful prominence in that area.
• AR4489 (alpha): This moderately sized sunspot has received a number. It still sits close to the horizon, so its magnetic structure is difficult to analyze. For now, forecasters defined it as an alpha configuration until they can assess it better.
• AR4487 (alpha) and AR4482 (alpha): The remaining numbered regions stayed mostly unchanged or showed signs of decay. Both carry a simpler alpha configuration.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no Earth-bound coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery during the last 24 hours.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind conditions reflected the waning influence of a coronal hole’s high-speed solar wind stream. Speeds averaged moderate levels. They then decreased to moderate-low by the end of this period. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field registered moderate levels.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The Bz component showed a southerly orientation during the first half of this period. Then, at 22 UTC on July 13, it turned northward for three hours. After 2:30 UTC this morning, the Bz component tilted southward again. This configuration favors auroras because it opens Earth’s magnetic field to incoming solar wind energy.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to active levels. The Kp index reached 4 (active) during one three-hour synoptic period at 0:00 UTC on July 14. Outside this interval, conditions stayed generally quiet to unsettled (Kp 1–3). By the end of the reporting period, the field had settled back to quiet levels. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits just below level 2.

Sun news July 13: Sun-stuff could reach Earth tonight

(11 UTC July 12 – 11 UTC July 13)

Earth’s magnetic field is set for another round of disturbance. A burst of sun-stuff – a coronal mass ejection (CME) – fired from the sun on July 10 is edging closer. It could give our planet a glancing blow late today or early tomorrow. This comes after our geomagnetic field already reached G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels yesterday. That was caused by the combined punch of a waning coronal hole solar wind stream and the glancing arrival of a CME from July 9. And looking ahead, forecasters are keeping a close eye on up to four CMEs that could brush past Earth over the next several days. Stay tuned!

Past 24 hours on the sun

Flare activity: Solar activity held at low to moderate levels over the past day. Observers logged 8 flares: 4 C-class and 4 B-class events.

• Strongest flare: A C2.6 from AR4485 peaking at 13:46 UTC on July 12.
• Lead flare producer: AR4485 dominated once again, firing at least 6 of the 8 tracked flares, including all four C-class events. However, the region’s productivity should diminish rapidly as it rotates behind the western limb.

Sunspot regions: The Earth-facing solar disk displayed approximately 5 numbered active regions. However, the count is in flux as AR4485 departs around the west limb and a new spot emerges on the east.

• AR4485 (beta-gamma): The period’s most complex and active region has now reached the extreme western limb (edge). Its position makes analysis increasingly difficult. Even so, its beta-gamma magnetic configuration means it has the potential for M-class flares.
• New unnumbered region: A moderately sized sunspot has breached the southeastern limb and is now rotating into view. NOAA will assign a number once the region’s magnetic structure can be better assessed.
• The remaining numbered regions stayed mostly unchanged or showed signs of decay. None exhibited complex magnetic configurations or significant flare activity during the period.

Blasts from the sun? Forecasters tracked multiple CMEs during and around the reporting period. None of the newly observed events should directly impact Earth. Instead, the primary focus remains on previously launched CMEs still en route.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind conditions reflected the waning influence of a coronal hole’s high-speed solar wind stream, combined with the July 9 CME’s glancing arrival. Speeds steadily decreased to near normal. Meanwhile, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) remained normal.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The Bz component spent much of the morning hours tilted southward. This configuration favors aurora because it opens Earth’s magnetic field to incoming solar wind energy. After midday, however, the Bz turned neutral to mostly northward, closing the door for auroral activity.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to G1 (minor) storm levels. The Kp index reached 4 (active) during the 9–12 UTC window on July 12, meeting the G1 threshold. Outside this interval, conditions stayed generally quiet to unsettled (Kp 1–3). By the end of the reporting period, the field had settled back to quiet levels.

The sun in recent days

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We sometimes feature sun images obtained using hydrogen-alpha filters. Read why.

Bottom line: Sun news July 17, 2026: The fiery southeastern newcomer has been labeled AR4491. It remains the top flare producer, and M flare chances jumped from 10% to 25% today.

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