Sun news: Sun blast sweeps Earth, sparking auroras

Sun news August 09 (UTC): Sun blast sweeps Earth, sparking auroras

Today’s top story: Earth’s magnetic field lit up overnight. A coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on August 4 swept past our planet. It drove geomagnetic storming to G2 (moderate) levels. While summer twilight limited viewing for Northern Hemisphere observers, the long winter darkness of the Southern Hemisphere offered front-row seats to the show. Observers at higher latitudes, across northern Scotland, Scandinavia, and southern Canada, might have glimpsed faint auroras as conditions peaked. But we now know that the Southern Hemisphere did see dynamic aurora, captured by webcam at the South Pole. The strongest interval arrived between 18 to 21 UTC on August 8, when Kp hit 6. Meanwhile, the CMEs from August 3 appear to have passed with little effect.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 08 – 11 UTC August 09)

Flare activity: Solar activity remained at very low levels, with only B-class flares observed. This was the quietest 24 hours in recent days.

• The strongest flare was a B7.6 from sunspot regioin AR4504, peaking at 8:48 UTC on August 8. As a B-class event, it produced no radio blackout.
• Other flares: Observers recorded seven additional B-class flares, all below B5. AR4498 led by count with four flares (B4.8, B3.4, B3.4, B3.0). Meanwhile, AR4504 contributed three events (B7.6, B4.2, B3.0) and AR4502 produced one (B4.9).
• No C-class, M-class, or X-class flares occurred.

Sunspot regions: The Earth-facing solar disk displayed five numbered active regions. All stayed relatively simple and quiet, either stable or showing signs of decay.

• AR4504 (S19E39): This newly numbered region emerged during the period. It produced the strongest flare of the day, a B7.6. It shows a simple alpha/beta magnetic configuration with very small, weak spots.
• AR4498: This region led by flare count, producing four B-class flares. However, it maintained a simple magnetic configuration and showed no signs of significant growth.
• AR4502: This region contributed one B-class flare. It remained stable with simple unipolar spots.
• The remaining two numbered regions stayed quiet and stable, contributing no notable activity. In fact, all five regions consist of small, weak spots, either unipolar or simple bipolar. None display complex delta configurations. And, what’s more, current Solar Orbiter PHI imagery of the far side suggests no significant returning regions during the forecast period.

Blasts from the sun? Two filament eruptions occurred during the period. Both produced CMEs with potential Earth-directed components. No flare-associated CMEs appeared, consistent with the very low flare activity.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind parameters reflected the gradual arrival of the August 4 CME, beginning at approximately 5:50 UTC on August 8. Speeds rose from a sluggish 250 km/s to an average of about 350 km/s. That’s modest for a CME passage. Even so, the strong magnetic field embedded within the structure proved sufficient to drive significant geomagnetic activity.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength climbed from a quiet 2–4 nT to a peak of 19 nT at approximately 10:02 UTC on August 8. It then averaged around 15 nT for the remainder of the period. Meanwhile, the Bz component experienced two sustained intervals of strong southward deflection. The first lasted roughly 3 hours, with a minimum of -18 nT, starting around 09:00 UTC. The second lasted over 5 hours, with a minimum of -17 nT, starting around 16:15 UTC. These prolonged southward Bz intervals drove the G2 storming.

Earth’s magnetic field: Earth’s magnetic field ranged from quiet to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm conditions over the past day. The period began quietly before the CME arrival. Conditions then escalated through unsettled and active levels (Kp 3–4) during the morning hours of August 8. They reached G1 (minor) storm levels (Kp 5) by midday on August 7. Finally, they peaked at G2 (Moderate) storm levels (Kp 6) during the 18-21 UTC interval on August 8, coinciding with the second deep southward Bz excursion. At Kp 6, aurora may have appeared over locations such as Toronto, Chicago, Boston, and northern England. However, summer twilight at high northern latitudes likely limited visual observations.

What’s ahead? Sun–Earth forecast

Flare activity forecast: Forecasters expect very low to low levels over August 9–11. The five active regions currently on disk are all simple and either stable or decaying. That limits flare potential. A slight chance exists for isolated M-class (R1–R2) flares, primarily from AR4504 if it develops further. Still, this probability remains low. No significant far-side regions should rotate into view during the forecast window.

Geomagnetic activity forecast:

• August 9: Waning CME influences may persist into the early hours, with periods of active conditions (Kp 3–4) possible. In addition, a more glancing CME that departed the sun on August 4 might deliver weak enhancements late in the day on August 9. A coronal hole high-speed stream is also possible. But it likely sits too far south to become capable of affecting Earth significantly. Overall, expect quiet-to-active conditions, with a slight chance of G1 (minor) storm intervals. Aurora will likely stay limited to high geomagnetic latitudes: northern Scandinavia, Iceland, and northern Canada.
• August 10: Conditions should return to largely quiet-to-unsettled levels (Kp 1–3) as CME influences fully subside. No significant drivers are anticipated. Auroras are unlikely outside the auroral zone.
• August 11-12: Expect a renewed period of unsettled-to-active conditions, with potential for G1 (minor) storm intervals and a slight chance of G2 (moderate) storms. Two drivers are anticipated. First, the glancing arrival of the August 8 disk-center filament CME, modeled to reach Earth around 12:56 UTC on August 11 with Kp estimates of 3–5. Second, the onset of a coronal hole high-speed stream. These may interact with the second CME’s flank and the underlying CIR, potentially amplifying effects around August 12. However, the CME arrival carries low confidence, since the bulk of the material should pass north of Earth. If conditions align favorably, aurora could appear over Seattle, Edinburgh, Minneapolis, and possibly as far south as Toronto and Chicago during peak intervals. Aurora watchers at higher latitudes should stay alert through midweek.

Sun news August 8: Is a CME striking Earth now?

The bursts of solar material our star hurled into space on August 3, 4, and 5 – known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs – were expected to arrive late on August 7. But they didn’t arrive as expected. The solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and Bz component all stayed at low levels throughout the day yesterday. Then, early this morning (August 8), things changed. All these parameters began to increase at around 6 UTC on August 8. So will this uptick bring storming levels? Forecasters anticipate mild disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field, up to active levels (around Kp 4; the planetary K index is one way to indicate the magnitude of geomagnetic storms). Even so, isolated G1 geomagnetic storming (that’s a minor storm, equivalent to a Kp5) cannot be ruled out.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 7 – 11 UTC August 8)

Flare activity: Sun activity stayed very low over the last 24 hours. Our sun produced only B (weak) flares over the past day and five B flares in total.

• The strongest flare was a B7.6 from sunspot region AR4504 in the southeast at 8:58 UTC on August 8.
• Lead flare producer: Active sunspot region AR4504 was the only flare producer of the period, firing all five B flares.

Sunspot regions: Our sun shows four numbered active regions today on the side we see from Earth. The newcomer in the southeast, which we reported yesterday as already producing a B-flare, now has an official number: AR4504. Notably, it is the only one showing interesting magnetic complexity. It is small in extent, but it carries a beta-gamma configuration. The rest of the numbered regions on the solar disk stay mostly stable, with signs of decay, in alpha or beta configurations.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no new CMEs in available coronagraph imagery over the past day.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds stayed at low levels during most of the period. But, starting at 6 UTC this morning, August 8, speeds began increasing to moderate-low levels.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field IMF continued at weak levels late yesterday and early today. Then, at around 6 UTC this morning, the IMF increased to strong levels. Meanwhile, the Bz component mostly showed weak northward peaks during the past day. At around 6 UTC on August 8, it strengthened, still pointing northward. It has held there as of this writing at 11 UTC on August 8.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field continued at very low levels (Kp 0-1) throughout the past day. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits above level 1.

Sun news August 7: Sun’s tiny whirlpools finally revealed

Today’s top story: Amazing images of the solar photosphere! The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the world’s largest solar telescope at 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, captured them. On August 5, 2026, the U.S. National Solar Observatory in Hawaii announced the accomplishment. The closest image resolves detail on an area of about 100 kilometers (about 60 miles), revealing structure never observed before. What did they find? Researchers spotted the signature of solar Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (explanation of what that is, above). To do it, the researchers enhanced the images using computer simulations, which offer a clear view of the phenomenon. In their report, they described it this way: Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability occurs when two fluids slide past each other at different velocities, creating a shear at the interface. Small disturbances then grow into striking wave-like or spiraling vortices that look like breaking ocean waves. Investigators had anticipated this process on the sun. But – until now – they’d never seen it this clearly.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 6 – 11 UTC August 7)

Flare activity: Sun activity continued at very low levels. The sun “sparked” eight times (for a total of eight flares). Our sun produced only one C (common) flare over the past day. The remaining seven were faint B (weak) flares.

• Strongest flare: A C1.0 from sunspot region AR4503 in the southeast at 19:26 UTC on August 6.
• Lead flare producer: Active sunspot region AR4500 in the northwest reached the top with three B flares. Meanwhile, AR4502 followed just behind with two B flares.

Sunspot regions: The Earth-facing side of the solar disk shows three numbered active regions today. In addition, a newcomer in the southeast, as yet unnumbered, has already produced a B flare. All the numbered regions on the disk show either simpler alpha or beta configurations. And all are mostly stable and show signs of decay.

• AR4498 (alpha): This region stayed stable but decayed into a unipolar sunspot region.
• AR4502 (beta): This region continued showing flux consolidation.
• AR4503 (beta): This region showed new flux production and consolidation. It also fired the only C flare of the period.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no new coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery. However, the anticipated CMEs the sun hurled out on August 3 may start reaching Earth late on August 7. Forecasters anticipate minor glancing blows, with enhancements possibly continuing through August 9.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds decreased from moderately-low to low levels during this period. There was no significant space weather to report. That should change later today with the arrival of the expected CMEs.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field continued at weak levels during the period. Meanwhile, the Bz component pointed southward late on August 6. Then, at around 16:30 UTC on August 6, it shifted northward. It stayed there until 2 UTC on August 7, when it returned to a southward orientation. It has held that direction until the time of this writing. Even so, both north and southward peaks stayed weak.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field held at very low levels (Kp 0) during this period. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits slightly above level 0. All this should change with the arrival of chunks of solar material, which might deliver glancing blows and bring enhancements starting later today, August 7.

Sun news August 6: Confirmed, solar material approaching Earth

It’s now confirmed. Several bursts of solar material – coronal mass ejections, or CMEs – are heading our way at Earth. The first arrival should come on August 7. And effects may extend through August 9.

These are all the chunks of solar stuff we’ve been reporting after several filament eruptions during the week, from August 3 to yesterday. These are weak, faint CMEs, but their impact could be outsized because they’re arriving one after another. Combined with fast solar wind from a coronal hole, they could disturb our magnetic field up to G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 5 – 11 UTC August 6)

Flare activity: Sun activity dropped to very low levels. Our star produced only B-class flares over the past day, five in total.

• Strongest flare: A B9.2 from active region AR4498 at 15:30 UTC on August 5.
• Lead flare producer: Active sunspot region AR4498 produced two of the five B flares of the period. Meanwhile, AR4499, AR4500, and AR4502 each produced one.

Sunspot regions: Currently, the sun shows four numbered active regions on its Earth-viewed side. The newcomer we reported yesterday now has an official number, AR4503. All the numbered regions on the disk show beta configurations. Moreover, all are mostly stable and show signs of decay.

• AR4498 (beta): This region decayed a little.
• AR4499 (beta): This region is decreasing in length and area. It is also ready to depart to the far side.
• AR4502 (beta): This region showed consolidation in its trailing spots.
• AR4503 (beta): This region now sits too close to the southeast horizon for a complete analysis. Observations will continue.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no newer CMEs during the past 24 hours. However, the CMEs the sun hurled into space starting on August 3 may begin arriving at Earth on August 7. They should provide minor glancing blows that could continue through August 9.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds averaged moderate to moderate-low levels during the whole period. There was no significant space weather to report.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field continued at weak levels during the period. Meanwhile, the Bz component pointed mostly southward throughout most of the period. Even so, the southward peaks stayed weak. As a result, no G1 (minor) enhancements occurred.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field held at very low levels (Kp 0–1) during the period. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits slightly above level 1.

Sun news August 5: Time for a Solar Cycle 25 update

It’s time for a new Solar Cycle 25 update! NOAA has now released the sunspot number – a measure of long-term solar activity – for July 2026. The number came in at 78.1, a decrease from June 2026’s 94.4. Why the drop? We did see a monster sunspot region like AR4493, plus the production of an X flare and a number of M flares. However, we only saw one day when the solar disk had 10 or more numbered sunspot regions on the side we see from Earth. And on most days through July, we counted just two or three. All of this contributed to the lower final sunspot number. Meanwhile, the peak of Solar Cycle 25 remains August 2024, with a sunspot value of 216.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 4 – 11 UTC August 5)

Flare activity: With only C-class and B-class flares fired over the past day, activity stays at very low. Our star produced a total of 11 flares: five C-class and six B-class. Compared to only three minor flares yesterday, that’s a noticeable jump.

• Strongest flare: A C1.7 from active region AR4502 at 6:22 UTC on August 5.
• Lead flare producer: A newcomer sunspot region on the southeast shoulder of the horizon, as yet unnumbered, topped the list. It fired four flares during this period: two Cs and two B flares.

Sunspot regions: The side of the solar disk we see from Earth shows five numbered active regions today.

• AR4498 (beta): This region lost its delta magnetic complexity. Today it shows a simpler beta configuration. It remains the largest in extent, though it suffered some fragmentation in its leader sunspot.
• AR4496 (alpha): This region has fully rotated to the far side.
• AR4499 (beta): This region showed signs of decay during this period.
• AR4500 (beta): This region exhibited some decay in its leading spot.
• AR4501 (beta): This region showed losses in its trailing spots.
• AR4502 (beta): This region continued showing significant growth over the past 24 hours.

Blasts from the sun? Observers continued to spot several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the past 24 hours. All of these CMEs came from lifting filament eruptions. Modeling and analysis continues. A minor glancing blow from this sun-stuff might occur on August 9.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds averaged moderate-low levels during the whole period. There was no significant space weather to report.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field showed weak strength during the period. Meanwhile, the Bz component pointed mostly northward throughout, with a few southward peaks. All in all, both orientations stayed weak.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field held at very low levels (Kp 0–1) during the period. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits slightly above level 0.

Sun news August 4: Several bursts of sun-stuff fired from our star

Sun activity returned to very low levels in terms of flare production, with just one C-class (common) flare and two B-class (weak) flares fired over the past day. However, the solar disk still put on a show. Intense action from fiery filaments – long ropes of solar material – caused several eruptions.

Observers spotted several chunks of solar stuff, or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), soaring into space during these events. So far, specialists don’t foresee any major impacts to Earth, but modeling and analysis is ongoing. Stay with us and we will keep you updated.

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 3 – 11 UTC August 4)

Flare activity: Flare activity dropped to very low levels and production decreased overall. Our star produced only three minor flares: one C-class (common) and two B-class (weak) flares during the period.

• Strongest flare: A C1.4 from active region AR4498 at 11:33 UTC on August 3.
• Lead flare producer: AR4498 topped the list, firing two flares during this period: the C1.4 mentioned above, plus a B-class flare. Meanwhile, an incoming, as-yet-unnumbered region sparked the second B flare of the period.

Sunspot regions: Currently, the solar disk displays 6 numbered active regions on the side we see from Earth.

• AR4498 (beta-delta): This region kept its delta configuration. It also remained the largest and most magnetically complex on the visible disk. For now, it’s attracting all the attention.
• AR4496 (alpha): This sunspot region now sits over the west horizon, poised to depart to the far side. It showed stability with a simpler alpha configuration.
• AR4499 (beta): This region showed growth in its trailing spots.
• AR4500 (beta): This region produced no flare activity and shows some signs of decay.
• AR4501 (beta): This region showed the most growth during the period. Therefore, it warrants monitoring in the coming days.
• AR4502 (beta): This region showed significant growth over the past 24 hours.
• AR4492: All gone. It has fully rotated out of view.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the past 24 hours, associated with lifting filament eruptions. So far, they have detected no clearly Earth-directed CMEs. Nevertheless, modeling and analysis continue.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: Solar wind speeds averaged moderate-low levels during the whole period, as effects from the CME began to wane.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field was moderate for most of the period. Meanwhile, the Bz component pointed mostly southward during the whole period. That orientation opened the door for significant energy transfer into Earth’s magnetosphere.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to active levels (Kp 2–4) during the period. Effects of the passing CME showed up as a Kp 4 level. Conditions first reached that threshold at 21 UTC on August 3. At the time of this writing, the Kp index sits at level 3, as CME enhancements continue to wane.

Sun news August 3: Big sun blast sparks geomagnetic storm and auroras

Earth’s magnetic field lit up yesterday from a huge blast of solar material and magnetic fields from the sun. A coronal mass ejection (CME) slammed into our planet’s magnetosphere around midday on August 2. Forecasters believe the impact was either a slow-moving CME launched on July 27, or a glancing blow from a July 30 eruption. Either way, it drove geomagnetic storm conditions to G2 (moderate) levels. As a result, auroral displays became possible across northern Scotland, Scandinavia, and similar high-latitude locations. Did you see them? Post your photo to our community page!

Past 24 hours on the sun

(11 UTC August 2 – 11 UTC August 3)

Flare activity: The sun itself took a breather over the past day. Flare production remained at low levels, with only minor C-class (common) or weaker flares recorded. Observers logged 2 C-class and 2 B-class (weak) flares during the period.

• Strongest flare: NOAA noted a C6.3 flare from an area around the northwest limb at 05:35 UTC on August 2 as the largest event of the broader 24-hour summary. But it fell just before our reporting window. Within the 11 UTC to 11 UTC window, the strongest flare was a C1.3 from sunspot region AR4492 at 14:41 UTC on August 2.
• In addition, sunspot region AR4498 fired a C1.0 flare at 00:39 UTC on August 3.

Sunspot regions: The Earth-facing solar disk displayed approximately seven to 10 numbered active regions during the period. The SIDC identified ten groups, while NOAA focused on the most significant ones.

• AR4498 (beta-delta): This region continued as the largest and most magnetically complex on the visible disk. It features a moderately large lead spot, plus a cluster of peripheral minor spots to the south that includes a weak delta configuration. As it approaches center disk, it remains the primary source for elevated flare potential.
• AR4499: Located just northeast of AR4498, this region drew the SIDC’s attention as the most magnetically complex (beta-delta). It also produced most of the minor flaring activity. But it showed overall weakening in recent imagery.
• AR4501 (beta): This region showed the most growth during the period. So it warrants monitoring in the coming days.
• AR4492: This region produced the C6.3 and C1.3 flares. But it now sits at the extreme northwest limb and is rotating out of view.
• Finally, a moderate-size bipolar region in the southwest quadrant, likely AR4496, provided some additional flare potential. Even so, it showed recent decay in its trailing portion. The remaining regions stayed relatively simpler, smaller and largely stable, with only minor changes.

Blasts from the sun? Observers spotted no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in available coronagraph imagery during the period. They did catalog one non-Earth-directed CME.

Past 24 hours in space weather

Solar wind: A CME-driven interplanetary shock dramatically reshaped solar wind conditions when it arrived at 11:29 UTC on August 2. Before the shock, solar wind speeds sat at a sluggish 290 km/s. The shock then drove speeds sharply to about 350 km/s. From there, they climbed unsteadily to a peak of 440 km/s by 17:17 UTC. Afterward, speeds eased below 400 km/s following 22:00 UTC. Solar wind density also jumped from 4 to 33 particles per cubic centimeter during the shock arrival.

Bt, Bz and magnetic coupling: The total interplanetary magnetic field jumped from 4 nT to about 14 nT at shock onset. It eventually peaked at a strong 22 nT around 15:00 UTC. Meanwhile, the Bz component initially dropped to –8 nT. Then it plunged to –17 nT at 15:02 UTC. That deeply southward orientation opened the door for significant energy transfer into Earth’s magnetosphere. By around 19 UTC, the Bz rotated northward and stayed mostly moderate in strength.

Earth’s magnetic field: The geomagnetic field stayed quiet (Kp 0–2) during the first half of the past day. Then it responded vigorously to the CME arrival. Conditions escalated rapidly, reaching G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm levels (Kp 6) between approximately 12:00–21:00 UTC on August 2. Across multiple three-hour synoptic periods, Kp ranged from 3–5, meaning active to G1 (minor) storm conditions. Notably, the peak storm interval coincided with the deeply southward Bz near 15:00 UTC. After the Bz rotated northward around 19:00 UTC, activity gradually subsided. Aurora may have appeared over locations such as Edinburgh, northern England and similar latitudes. However, short summer nights limited viewing opportunities.

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Bottom line: Sun news August 9, 2026: The August 4 CME finally arrived, driving a G2 storm with auroras. More CMEs could reignite the show August 11-12.

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