EarthSun

Sun news: Auroral displays on Valentine’s Day

Sun news February 13-14, 2025. A G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm was observed overnight. Kp = 5 threshold was reached at 2:59 UTC on February 14. More G1 disturbances may be possible later on during the day today. Image via NOAA.

Sun news for February 13 – February 14. Auroral displays on Valentine’s Day

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

Today’s top story: Auroras on Valentine’s Day! High latitudes were favored, late last night and early today (February 13-14, according to clocks in North America), with a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm. The storm stemmed from two causes. A small burp of material from the sun (a coronal mass ejection, or CME) did arrive. It combined with fast solar wind from a coronal hole. The fast solar wind, in particular, seems to have played an important role. More G1 disturbances are expected later on today. Did you see auroras? Share your beautiful photos with us.

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity on the sun jumped to moderate levels over the past 24 hours, with three M flares.
  • The flare number over the past 24 hours reached a total of 12, three Ms plus nine Cs. The largest flare of the past day was an M1.3 flare at 10:06 UTC on February 14 from active region AR3990. The blast provoked an R1 (minor) radio blackout that a affected an area over southern Africa.
  • There are eight active regions visible on the Earth-facing side of the sun now. AR3990 and AR3992 are showing a beta-gamma magnetic configuration. The rest of the active regions on the solar disk viewed from Earth are either alpha or beta. There are three newcomers numbered: AR3992, AR3993 and AR3994.
  • Blasts from the sun? No significant Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed in the available coronagraph imagery, over the past 24 hours.
  • Solar wind speed is 483 km/s (300 miles/s) and the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras) was slightly disturbed. The active (Kp = 5) threshold was reached at 2:24 UTC on February 13.  At the moment of this writing the Bz (north/south) component of the interplanetary magnetic field is north directed.
  • Geomagnetic activity: On the KP index, the storm reached the Kp = 5 threshold at 2:59 UTC on February 14. At the moment of this writing (11 UTC on February 14), Earth’s geomagnetic field is active (Kp = 4).

 What’s ahead? Sun-Earth forecast

  • Moderate solar activity might occur over the next 24 hours. The chance of M flares continues at 40%. The chance for X flares is at 5% today.
  • Blasts from the sun? The two M flare events of the past 24 hours are under modeling analysis to determine any component is Earth-bound.
  • Geomagnetic activity forecast: More disturbances up to a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm (Kp = 5) are possible later on during the day today as fast solar wind continues. Unsettled conditions are expected for February 15 as negative polarity solar wind enhancements persist.
February 14, 2025. Earlier today the Planetary K index chart registered a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm and at the time of this writing a Kp = 4 is ongoing. Image via NOAA.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 6 UTC on February 15, 2025. Original image, without labels, via NASA SDO. Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky. Today’s sun is posted by Armando Caussade. Why are east and west on the sun reversed?
Sun news for February 12-13, 2025. The aurora forecast is for auroral displays tonight. Shall this be Valentine’s Day February 14 auroras? At the time of this writing an active period is ongoing. Kp = 4 threshold reached at 5:34 UTC February 13. Image via NOAA.

Sun news for February 12 – February 13. Auroral displays at high latitudes tonight?

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

The arrival of a faint coronal mass ejection (CME) – combined with enhancements by fast solar wind from a coronal hole – might bring conditions for a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm tonight. Will we have auroras tonight? Conditions look good for high latitudes. NOAA forecasters are not super confident. But we can say for sure that, at the time of this writing (11 UTC on February 13), an active period is ongoing. The active (Kp = 4) threshold was reached at 5:34 UTC this morning. Good luck aurora chasers!

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity continued at low levels over the past 24 hours with only C flares.
  • The flare number reduced over the past 24 hours to only 7 Cs. The largest flare of the period was a C3.9 flare at 12:47 UTC on February 12 from an as-of-yet-unnumbered incoming active region on the northeast.
  • There are six active regions visible on the Earth-facing side of the sun now. AR3990 is showing a beta-gamma magnetic configuration. The rest of the active regions on the solar disk viewed from Earth are either alpha or beta.
  • Blasts from the sun: No additional coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed in the SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C2 and C3 imagery.
  • Solar wind speed remains around 500 km/s (310 miles/s) and the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras) was slightly disturbed. The active (Kp = 4) threshold was reached at 5:34 UTC on February 13.  The Bz (north/south) component of the interplanetary magnetic field is south directed. The solar wind speed and southward directed magnetic field can help to fuel geomagnetic activity.
February 13, 2025. A fiery east still showing long lasting prominences on the solar east horizon. They are coming to the Earth-viewed side of our sun. Meanwhile a filament sigmoid structure awaits. GOES-16-SUVI 304 angstrom. Image via NOAA.

Sun news for February 11 – February 12. More action rolling in from east

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

The prominences we saw and reported on yesterday – on the eastern rim of the sun – continued over the past day. They’re an ongoing sign that more flare action might be moving to the Earth-facing side of our star, from the far side. There must be some active regions producing all this strong east-rim activity. But we can’t quite see them yet. Soon the sun’s rotation will carry them into view. Stay tuned.

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity dropped to low levels over the past 24 hours with only C (common) flares.
  • The flare number for the past day is 10 Cs. The largest flare of the period was a C7.7 peaking at 14:05 UTC on February 11 from departing active region AR3981. AR3981 is now out of view from Earth just behind the northwest solar limb (edge). If the region produces a large blast we should still observe it. We’ll keep watching.
  • There are seven active regions visible on the Earth-facing side of the sun. There’s a newcomer on the southeast limb (edge) numbered AR3991.
  • Blasts from the sun: A coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed by the SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C2 imager at 18:12 UTC on February 11. It is associated with a C7.3 flare in the vicinity of AR3991. Further modeling and analysis is ongoing to determine if the plasma from this blast is Earth-directed.
  • Solar wind speed remains around 500 km/s (310 miles/s) and the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras) was slightly disturbed. A 3-hour active (Kp = 4) period was observed from 3 – 6 UTC on February 12. The Bz (north/south) component of the interplanetary magnetic field is south directed. The solar wind speed and southward directed magnetic field can help to fuel geomagnetic activity.
Sun news for February 11-12, 2025. Activity on the eastern solar limb (edge) has picked up thanks to a new region rotating into view. Prominence and filament activity is observed when viewing the 304 extreme ultraviolet channel from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Image via SDO/NASA.
Another coronal hole is moving into a geoeffective position meaning that soon high-speed solar wind streams (HSS) from the coronal hole should soon reach Earth and possibly increase geomagnetic activity and aurora. Image via SDO/NASA

Sun news for February 10 – February 11. A fiery sunspot region rotates into view

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

Over the past day, we witnessed a fiery sunspot region blasting away on the sun’s northeast limb (edge). The sun’s rotation is just now carrying it into view, and so it hasn’t received a number yet. But it’s in addition to two newcomers mentioned yesterday: AR3989 and AR3990. Over the past day, an isolated M flare kept solar activity at moderate levels. The blast was a farewell flare from active region AR3981, which the sun’s rotation is now carrying to the far side. The new regions – and even departing AR3981 – are expected to keep flare activity moderate, or more than moderate, in the coming day.

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity has been moderate over the past 24 hours, thanks to an isolated M (moderate) flare.
  • The flare number for the past day is one M flare and 12 C flares. The largest flare of the period was an M1.6 peaking at 5:35 UTC on February 11 from departing active region 3981. The blast caused an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the South Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. AR3981 is now located at the sun’s northwesternmost limb (edge). It is returning to our star’s far side.
  • There are seven active regions visible on the Earth-facing side of the sun today. AR3989, the largest sunspot cluster, is now evolving. And the incoming active region on the southeast we mentioned yesterday is numbered AR3990 and is our second region of focus.
  • Blasts from the sun: Only small coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and plasma from jets were hurled into space over the past day. None are Earth-bound.
  • Solar wind remained enhanced with speeds at around 500 km/s (310 miles/s) and the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras) was slightly disturbed. A 3-hour active (Kp = 4) period was observed from 0 –  3 UTC on February 11. At the time of this report the solar wind speed is 556 km/s (346 miles/s). And the Bz (north/south) component of the interplanetary magnetic field is south directed. All of that adds up a potential to fuel geomagnetic activity.
Montage of faces of many women.
Today – February 11, 2025 – is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. And this image is just a piece of a mosaic from the European Space Agency, which is celebrating the hundreds of them involved with the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. ESA said the goal of the mission is “to explore and better understand our life-giving star.” Read more from ESA. Image via ESA-NASASolar Orbiter/ Miho Janvier/ portraits supplied by contributors.
Sun news. Animation showing orange edge of sun, with a blast of solar material emanating outward.
Sun news for February 11, 2025. Over the past day, we saw a fiery sunspot region on the sun’s northeast limb (edge). Meanwhile, sunspot region AR3981 is departing on the sun’s west side, among prominences. Image via NOAA.
February 11, 2025. Sun activity is at moderate levels thanks to an isolated M flare. The blast was an M1.6 flare at 5:35 UTC on February 11 from active region AR3981. Farewell! It provoked an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the South Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. GOES-16 SUVI 131 angstrom. Image via NOAA.

Sun news for February 9 – February 10. Flare boost from sun’s southeast? Solar wind!

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

A new sunspot region – which the sun’s rotation has carried into view in the southeast – might become the next big-flare region. Meanwhile, the northwest sunspot cluster’s flare potential is decreasing as it rotates out of our view. All in all, in the next two to three days, observers expect moderate solar activity, with a continued likelihood of M-class flares. Plus, geomagnetic activity is expected to remain elevated, with G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm conditions likely today (February 10), driven by the ongoing influence of a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole. Read more in the geomagnetic activity forecast below.

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity increased to moderate levels over the past 24 hours, with an M flare and C flares.
  • The flare number is one M flare and seven C flares. The largest flare of the period was an M1.0 peaking at 00:46 UTC on February 9 from Region 3981. This once-dominant region continues to decay as it approaches the western limb (edge). Consequently, its flare potential becomes less.
  • There are 10 active regions visible on the Earth-facing side of the sun. But the most notable area of interest at this time remains the northwest quadrant, where the largest and most magnetically complex sunspot cluster continues to evolve. However, recent imagery suggests that a new sunspot region is emerging over the southeastern limb (edge), potentially replacing the northwest as the next area of solar activity focus.
  • Blasts from the sun: No significant Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed over the past day. However, a slow, faint CME from February 8 is still being analyzed for any potential glancing impact on Earth.
  • Solar wind conditions were initially calm over the past day, but activity increased significantly later in the day due to the arrival of a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole. Accordingly, wind speeds rose from 350 km/s to 500-550 km/s (about 220 to 300-350 miles per second). As well, the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras) increased. The Bz (north/south) component indicating the direction remained northward until approximately 12:57 UTC, when it shifted southward. Because of that, its potential to fuel geomagnetic activity has increased.
Sun news for February 9-10, 2025. Flare activity might be on the rise, thanks to a new sunspot region on the sun’s southeast limb (edge). And a giant coronal hole is rotating to a geoeffective position to send a high-speed solar wind stream (HSS). Images via SDO.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with a mottled surface.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mario Rana in Hampton, Virginia, captured this filtered image on February 9, 2025. Mario wrote: “Hydrogen-alpha image of the sun with some nice filaments and prominences.” Thank you, Mario!

Sun news for February 8 – February 9. A solar wind increase in Earth’s vicinity

(11 UTC to 11 UTC)

The large coronal holes we’ve been watching are rotating into a geoeffective position, that is, a position where they are capable of affecting Earth. Therefore, their fast solar wind will begin to reach Earth now, possibly disturbing Earth’s magnetic field. We call this type of solar wind a high-speed stream. These high-speed streams can disturb Earth’s geomagnetic field enough to create geomagnetic storms. The strongest storms come from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) riding on top of this solar wind. The combo increases a geomagnetic storm to the strongest levels.

Sun-Earth highlights in the past day

  • Flare activity decreased to low levels with only C flare over the past 24 hours.
  • The flare number was 11 (C flares) in the past day. The largest event was a C8.1 from AR3978 peaking at 12:54 UTC on February 8, 2025.
  • There are eight active regions on the Earth-facing side of the sun. The northwest quadrant continues to be the most active area, with a cluster of interconnected sunspots showing magnetic complexity and ongoing interaction. While some of the intermediate spots in this cluster are decaying, the rearmost spot remains large and retains a weak delta configuration. Elsewhere on the disk, the remaining sunspots are small and magnetically simple.
  • Blasts from the sun: A faint, slow coronal mass ejection (CMEs) was detected in coronagraph imagery at 10:00 UTC on February 8, associated with the M2.0 flare. No significant Earth-directed impact is expected. However, modeling is ongoing.
  • Solar wind was slightly enhanced over the past day. The solar wind speed increased slightly to ~360 km/s. A few southward deflections occurred in the interplanetary magnetic field (a critical factor in creating auroras). Because of this, some energy transfer into Earth’s magnetosphere occurred.
Sun news for February 8-9, 2024. The first of 2 large coronal holes has moved into a geoeffective position, a position where it’s capable of affecting Earth. A high-speed stream of fast solar wind is heading our way at approximately 400 miles per second (600 km/s)! Images via SDO and JHelioviewer.

The sun in recent days

The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 2 UTC on February 14, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.
The sun, seen as a large white sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 5 UTC on February 13, 2025, as seen from Udaipur Solar Observatory in India. Image via NSO/GONG.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 3 UTC on February 12, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.

Earlier sun images

The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 3 UTC on February 11, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 0 UTC on February 10, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 3 UTC on February 9, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with dark spots, each labeled.
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 2 UTC on February 8, 2025. Image via NASA/SDO.

Sun images from our community

The sun, seen as a large white sphere with small dark spots.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Patricio León in Santiago, Chile, captured this filtered image of the sun on February 14, 2025. Patricio wrote: “A new group of minor cores is rotating the southeast limb at 8 o’clock position. Nothing else worth of mention.” Thank you, Patricio!
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with a mottled surface.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mario Rana in Hampton, Virginia, captured this filtered image on February 14, 2025. Mario wrote: “Hydrogen-alpha image of the sun. Looks like I caught the tail end of a C4.8 flare from active region AR3994. Maximum was at 14:17 UTC.” Thank you, Mario!
The sun, seen as a large yellow sphere with a mottled surface.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jim Militello in Tucson, Arizona, captured this filtered image of the sun on February 13, 2025. Jim wrote: “Hydrogen-alpha image of the sun showing sunspots, active regions, filaments, and prominences.” Thank you, Jim!

Are you a fan of sun images? We invite you all to send us your beautiful recent photos of sunspots and auroras. We love receiving them and sharing them! And to those of you who’ve already posted a photo to our community page, thank you.

Submit photos here

View community photos here

Bottom Line: Sun news February 13-14, 2025. We had auroral displays overnight. a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm registered at 2:59 UTC February 14.

Posted 
February 14, 2025
 in 
Earth

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