X1.1 solar flare from sunspot region 4086
Tuesday, 13 May 2025 15:57 UTC
Solar activity has been relatively quiet for weeks now but that came to an abrupt end today as departing sunspot region 4086 which is now close to the west limb produced an X1.1 solar flare (R3-strong radio blackout) that peaked at 15:37 UTC.
This is the first X-class event since March this year and it is very unexpected as there was only a 1% chance of X-class activity today!
The location of the solar flare is however... as you can see on this image of the Sun in UV light thanks to SDO... let's just say... not very optimal for those who love auroral activity. Any resulting coronal mass ejection from this eruption is likely not aimed at Earth. We will keep an eye on coronagraph data in the hours ahead and provide updates if needed but we do not expect any resulting CME to be aimed at Earth.
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| Last X-flare | 2025/05/13 | X1.1 |
| Last M-flare | 2025/05/12 | M1.9 |
| Last geomagnetic storm | 2025/05/03 | Kp5 (G1) |
| Spotless days | |
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