Sun news June 21: M flare brightens the June solstice!
Today’s top story: Happy June solstice! And what a way to mark it. The sun continued to simmer at moderate to high levels on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Newly numbered AR4473 stole the spotlight, firing an M2.6 flare at 2:25 UTC this morning. It was the strongest blast of the period. The flare triggered an R1 (minor) radio blackout, briefly disrupting HF communications over the Pacific and eastern Asia. And AR4473 is just getting started. It’s growing as the sun’s rotation carries it further onto the visible disk. Its increasing magnetic complexity makes it the region to watch over the coming days. Earlier in the period, neighboring AR4472 contributed its own M1.0 flare along with a string of C-class events. The solstice also marks a turning point for aurora watchers. Today is the peak of the seasonal disadvantage for aurora viewing in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun-Earth geometry works against displays right now. But from here, the nights gradually grow longer again. And as they do, aurora opportunities will slowly improve. In the Southern Hemisphere, today is the winter solstice, and darkness is at its peak, giving southern aurora chasers their best seasonal window in terms of light.
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 20 – 11 UTC June 21)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity reached moderate levels. In total, the sun fired 12 flares: 2 M-class and 6 C-class events, plus several B-class flares.
- Strongest flare: M2.6 from AR4473 (S07E65) at 2:25 UTC on June 21. It triggered an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Pacific region.
- Other M-class flare: M1.0 from AR4472 at 14:50 UTC on June 20. It also produced an R1 (minor) radio blackout, affecting the sunlit African and European sectors.
- Notable C-class events: C4.9 from AR4472 at 21:22 UTC on June 20; C1.3 from AR4472 at 23:01 UTC on June 20; C1.1 from AR4472 at 1:01 UTC on June 21; C1.2 from AR4473 at 8:31 UTC on June 21.
- Lead flare producers: AR4473 fired the period’s strongest event, the M2.6. And AR4472 generated the bulk of the overall activity with an M1.0 and multiple C-class flares. Together they drove all the significant activity of the period.
Sunspot regions
The Earth-facing solar disk showed approximately 7 numbered active regions. But the majority remained small and quiet.
AR4473 (beta) received its official number this period. It is growing as it rotates further onto the visible disk. It produced the period’s strongest flare, the M2.6, plus additional C- and B-class events. Its increasing magnetic complexity makes it the primary region of concern going forward.
AR4472 (beta) was the most prolific flare producer of the period. It fired an M1.0 and several C-class events. Its position near the southeast limb makes full analysis difficult. But it shows some mixed-polarity magnetic structure worth monitoring.
The remaining 5 numbered regions were small and simple. They were either stable or in gradual decay. Several areas of pores appeared in the western hemisphere. But most decayed before developing into numbered sunspot groups.
Blasts from the sun?
Two CMEs were observed during the period. But neither is expected to deliver a direct hit to Earth.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
On the space weather front, solar wind conditions remained subdued. The influence of a waning coronal hole high-speed stream faded further. Speeds ranged between 350–420 km/s, settling near 400 km/s by the end of the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) ranged from 5–7 nT.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component was variable throughout. It briefly dipped as far south as ?7 nT. But it recovered quickly. That southward dip was too brief and weak to drive significant geomagnetic activity. As a result, Earth’s magnetic shield stayed mostly closed.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled (Kp 1–3). No geomagnetic storm thresholds were reached. Conditions continued transitioning toward background levels.
What’s ahead? Sun–Earth forecast
Flare activity forecast
Forecasters expect low-to-moderate levels to continue through June 23. A chance (35%) exists for M-class (R1) flares. Both AR4472 and AR4473 drive the outlook. And AR4473 is especially worth watching as it grows and rotates further into view.
A slight chance (5%) for an X-class event cannot be entirely ruled out if AR4473 continues to develop. But this remains a low probability for now.
Geomagnetic activity forecast
- June 21: Expect quiet-to-unsettled conditions (Kp 1–3) as the coronal hole stream influence continues to fade. No significant aurora is expected. And today being the June solstice means the shortest nights of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, further limiting any viewing window.
- June 22–23: Expect mostly quiet conditions (Kp 1–2) under background solar wind. But a slight enhancement is possible late on June 22 into June 23 if the flank of the June 19 CME delivers a glancing blow. If realized, an unsettled-to-active spell (Kp 3–5) could develop. At Kp 5, aurora could reach Seattle, Edinburgh, and the Scottish Highlands. But the brief summer nights at these latitudes will severely limit any viewing window.
- June 24: A very low-confidence possibility exists for minor unsettled conditions (Kp 3–4) if the flank of the June 20 CME arrives as one model run suggests. But quiet background conditions are more likely. A new coronal hole fast-wind enhancement may also begin arriving, though confidence remains low.
Sun news June 20: Bam! M flare from a newcomer sunspot
We called it! Yesterday, we flagged a newcomer sunspot region as one to watch. And it delivered. This region sparked a M1.3 flare at 1:51 UTC on June 20. The blast triggered an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Philippine Sea, southeast of Japan.
And this newcomer now has a name. It has been officially designated AR4472. It sits near the sun’s northeast limb (edge), still too close to the horizon for a complete magnetic analysis. Specialists initially assigned a simple alpha configuration. But we need to wait until more of this region rotates into view to define its magnetic complexity more fully.
Here is what makes this exciting. AR4472 already fired an M-class flare before fully rotating into view. If it carries significant magnetic complexity once fully visible, it could become a major player. As always, the sun keeps us guessing. Stay tuned!
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 19 – 11 UTC June 20)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity reached moderate levels with the production of an M1.3 flare. In total, the sun fired 8 flares: 1 M-class (moderate), 2 C-class (common), and 5 B-class (weak).
- Strongest flare: M1.3 from AR4472 in the southeast at 1:51 UTC on June 20. It triggered an R1 (minor) radio blackout over the Philippine Sea southeast of Japan.
- Lead flare producer: AR4470 in the northeast topped the list. It fired 4 of the 8 flares. And newcomer AR4472 closely followed with 3 flares, including the M1.3. The remaining flare came from elsewhere on the disk.
Sunspot regions
Currently, the Earth-facing solar disk shows just 4 numbered active regions. All four carry either alpha or beta configurations. In other words, they’re magnetically simple. So the risk of strong flares from the currently numbered regions stays low.
But AR4472 is the one to watch. It already delivered an M1.3 flare before fully rotating into view. Its position near the northeast limb means its true complexity remains hidden for now. As more of this region rotates onto the disk, its potential will become clearer.
Blasts from the sun?
Experts are currently modeling and analyzing the M1.3 flare from AR4472. A faint coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed during the event. But initial analysis suggests an Earth miss. The ejecta appears directed too far southward. In addition, a filament eruption in the southeast around 3 UTC on June 19 produced a slow-moving CME. Specialists anticipate a portion of that ejecta to deliver a glancing blow at Earth around June 23.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds continued at moderate-low levels throughout the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) stayed at weak levels.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component kept shifting intermittently between northward and southward throughout the period. At the time of this writing on June 20, the Bz shows a northward orientation. As always, a southward Bz is what favors auroral displays.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled levels (Kp 1–3). Currently, the Kp index sits at level 2.
Sun news June 19: A fiery prominence from the far side
Departed sunspot region AR4464 is still making its presence felt from the far side of our sun! It continued blasting flares and hurling plasma into space with beautiful jets and prominences, especially the gorgeous jet-like eruption shown above. It was strong enough to show above the southwest horizon, even though AR4464 has been on the far side for more than two days. That is a testament to just how energetic this region remains. Will we see AR4464 return to the Earth-facing disk, after traveling around the sun’s far side? Stay tuned!
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 18 – 11 UTC June 19)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity continued at very low levels. In total, the sun fired 12 flares: 2 C-class (common) and 10 B-class (weak).
- Strongest flare: C2.0 from AR4470 in the northeast at 11:56 UTC on June 18.
- Lead flare producer: An as-yet-unnumbered newcomer in the southeast topped the list. It fired 7 of the 12 flares, more than double its nearest rival.
Sunspot regions
Currently, the Earth-facing solar disk shows just 3 numbered active regions. All three carry stable beta configurations. They are magnetically simple. And the risk of strong flares from the currently numbered regions stays low.
Notably, a newcomer in the southeast is barely showing its nose over the horizon. It has not yet received an official number, but it is already firing flares from the very edge of the southeast limb (edge). One to watch.
Blasts from the sun?
Available coronagraph imagery showed no coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the period.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds averaged moderate-low levels throughout the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) started the period at weak levels. Then it gradually increased to moderate levels.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component pointed southward for the first 16 hours of the period. Then at around 3 UTC this morning, it shifted sharply northward for about 4 hours. At 7:20 UTC it returned southward and remains there at the time of this writing. As always, a southward Bz favors auroral displays.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled levels (Kp 1–3). Currently, the Kp index sits just above level 2.
Sun news June 18: Sunspot region keeps flaring from the far side
Yesterday we saw the fiery sunspot region AR4464 departing over the southwest horizon. And over the past day, this prolific region continued to fire a string of jets and prominences from the far side. They were large enough to appear over sun’s limb (edge), and several of the eruptions were registered as C and B flares. This region just can’t say goodbye!
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 17 – 11 UTC June 18)
Flare activity
Over the past day we’ve seen a slight increase in flare production, but the overall activity level remained very low, as the majority of the flares produced were B-class (weak). In total, the sun fired 12 flares: 3 C-class (common) and 9 B-class (weak).
- Strongest flare: C2.5 from active region AR4464 in the southwest at 15:06 UTC on June 17.
- Lead flare producer: A newcomer now numbered AR4470 became the lead flare producer of the period as it blasted out 4 flares of the 12. It was shortly followed by AR4464 with 3 flares from the far side.
Sunspot regions
Currently our star shows just 2 numbered active regions on its side we see from Earth. Both are magnetically simple, with stable beta configurations. We have not seen a spotless day since February 2, 2026. Could one be coming soon? Perhaps, although there is a string of sunspot regions on the far side that may appear on the Earth-viewed solar disk in the coming days.
Blasts from the sun?
A couple of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed on available coronagraph imagery during the period. A first CME detected at 0:38 UTC on June 17 was concluded to have an Earth-bound component. An additional CME was registered by LASCO C2 at 1:35 UTC on June 17. Both events are under modeling and analysis. We will bring you further data as soon as it is released.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds saw a slight increase to moderate-high levels from 12-to-16 UTC on June 17, before dropping back to moderate-low levels for the rest of the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) drew back to weak levels.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component was oriented south for most of the day. A few northward peaks were seen, but they were weak. As always, a south oriented Bz component favors auroral displays.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field remained at quiet levels (Kp 0–2). No geomagnetic storm conditions occurred. Currently, the Kp index sits just above level 1.
Sun news June 17: Fiery sunspot region departs from view
While solar activity dropped to very low levels over the past day, one sunspot region remained fiery. We’re talking about AR4464, which kept firing jets as it made its way out of view over the southwest solar horizon. And just as it reached the edge of the solar disk, it sparked a gorgeous farewell prominence. Bye, AR4464!
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 16 – 11 UTC June 17)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity dropped to very-low levels, as the majority of the flares produced were B-class (weak) flares. In total, the sun fired 8 flares: 2 C-class (common) and 6 B-class (weak).
- Strongest flare: C1.2 from active region AR4465 in the northwest at 5:20 UTC on June 17.
- Lead flare producer: AR4464 was the top flare producer of the period. It blasted 4 flares out of the 8 of the period. It was shortly followed by AR4465 with 3 flares. Today’s lead flare producer has left the building and gone to the far side.
Sunspot regions
4 numbered active regions can be seen from Earth on the solar disk. AR4465 lost its (gamma) magnetic complexity and today it shows a simpler (beta) configuration. All the rest of the sunspot regions are magnetically simple and relatively inactive.
Blasts from the sun?
No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed on available coronagraph imagery during the period.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds averaged at moderate levels during the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) started to show an increase at 1 UTC on June 17 that lasted until 6 UTC when it started to draw back to weak levels this morning.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component was oriented north for most of the day. As a result, Earth’s magnetic shield stayed firmly closed and auroral activity stayed suppressed.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field continued at quiet levels (Kp 1–2). No geomagnetic storm conditions occurred. Currently, the Kp index sits just above level 1.
Sun news June 16: Gorgeous eruption! Sun-stuff still awaited
Over the past day, we observed a gorgeous eruption of solar material over the southwest solar horizon. Take a look above. Beautiful! Meanwhile, we are still awaiting a possible glancing blow at Earth from a burst of sun-stuff that left the sun on June 12. This could disturb our magnetic field, though forecasters aren’t expecting any geomagnetic storming. Celestial geometry is not helping aurora watchers right now. We are just a few days from the June 2026 solstice, which arrives on Sunday morning. The angle at which Earth sits relative to the sun does not cooperate much for auroral displays this time of year. This effect is the opposite of what occurs during the equinoxes, when a favorable angle boosts aurora chances.
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 15 – 11 UTC June 16)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity remained in a lull at low levels. In total, the sun fired 9 flares: 6 C-class (common) and 3 B-class (weak).
- Strongest flare: C1.9 from an incoming as-yet-unnumbered active region in the northeast at 18:51 UTC on June 15.
- Lead flare producer: This northeast newcomer topped the list. It fired 6 of the 9 events, including the C1.9 peak.
Sunspot regions
Currently, the Earth-facing solar disk shows 5 numbered active regions. AR4465 (beta-gamma) regained a gamma component during the period. The remaining sunspot regions are magnetically simple and relatively inactive.
Blasts from the sun?
Available coronagraph imagery showed no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the period. But forecasters continue to track the CME that departed the sun on June 12. It may deliver a glancing blow around June 16–17. A direct hit is not expected. But it could modestly enhance geomagnetic activity upon arrival. No G1 (minor) geomagnetic storms are expected from this event.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds averaged moderate-low levels during the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field stayed weak. But it showed a slight increase at the end of the period. That uptick could be an early sign of the approaching CME material.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component kept shifting between north and south. But the strongest and longest peaks pointed northward. As a result, Earth’s magnetic shield stayed firmly closed and auroral activity stayed suppressed.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field continued at quiet levels (Kp 1–2). No geomagnetic storm conditions occurred. Currently, the Kp index sits just above level 1.
Sun news June 15: Sun-stuff could give us a glancing blow tomorrow
The sun has taken a breather over the past 24 hours, with only minor C-class (common) flares sputtering from a handful of small, magnetically simple sunspot regions. But solar activity from a few days ago could soon bring excitement to Earth. A glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on June 12 could brush Earth tomorrow, potentially lifting geomagnetic activity to active levels.
Past 24 hours of sun news
(11 UTC June 14 – 11 UTC June 15)
Flare activity
Over the past day, solar activity remained at low levels. In total, the sun fired 7 flares: 5 C-class (common) and 2 B-class (weak). No M-class (moderate) or X-class events occurred.
- Strongest flare: C1.7 from AR4464 at 1:50 UTC on June 15.
- Lead flare producer: AR4464 topped the list with 4 of the 7 events. These included the C1.7.
Sunspot regions
The Earth-facing solar disk shows 4 numbered active regions. All are magnetically simple and relatively inactive.
Blasts from the sun?
Available coronagraph imagery showed no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections during the period. But forecasters continue tracking a CME that departed the sun on June 12. It may deliver a glancing blow around June 16–17. A direct hit is not expected. But it could modestly enhance geomagnetic activity upon arrival.
Past 24 hours in space weather
Solar wind
Solar wind speeds reflected the continued but waning influence of a coronal hole high-speed stream. Speeds gradually declined to normal levels over the period. Meanwhile, the total interplanetary magnetic field remained weak.
Bz and magnetic coupling
The Bz component showed no significant southward dips. It remained weak and variable. As a result, Earth’s magnetic shield stayed firmly closed. And aurora activity stayed suppressed.
Earth’s magnetic field
Over the past day, Earth’s magnetic field stayed quiet (Kp 1–2). No geomagnetic storm conditions occurred.
The sun in recent days
Earlier sun images
Sun images from our community
More sun images from our community
We sometimes feature sun images obtained using hydrogen-alpha filters. Read why.
Bottom line: Sun news for June 21, 2026: M flare on the June solstice! CME glancing blow possible June 22–23. Happy solstice!
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C. Alex Young
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