Sunspot launches 27 solar flares in 24 hours, including strongest outburst in years

Live Science ^ | 02/02/2026 | Brandon Specktor

[BenLurkin]

A monster sunspot is taking aim at Earth after firing off dozens of powerful flares Sunday and Monday (Feb. 1-2) — including the most intense solar eruption in years.

Elevated geomagnetic activity — possibly resulting in vibrant northern lights at lower latitudes than usual — is possible Thursday (Feb. 5), according to an alert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). However, it's still too soon to know for certain.

The sunspot, called region 4366, appeared suddenly several days ago and has rapidly grown to roughly half the size of the infamous Carrington Event sunspot, which, in September 1859, fired a flare that triggered the most destructive geomagnetic storm in recorded history. This swift growth has left sunspot 4366 highly unstable; in a 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday, the region erupted with more than 20 solar flares, including at least 23 M-class flares and four X-class flares, the strongest category of solar flare, according to NASA.

[telescope115]

Let’s hope not, but who knows…..

[Larry Lucido]

LOL!

[Larry Lucido]

Some stupid with a solar flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

[pfflier]

Last one occurred just before the cold wave last week. Also they may be associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions along the ring of fire recently. A volcano eruption in Ecuador yesterday was more intense than usual.

[Salamander]

Sunset babies all got rabies….

[metmom]

Ping

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

ICE protest, for sure.

[Texas Eagle]

Probably just gas.

[Texas Eagle]

The Sun? What is it?

It's that big orange globe in the sky but that's not important right now.

[G Larry]

Not sure how Elon Musk plans on protecting his “AI in Space” dream from the impacts of major Solar storms.....

[farm_kid]

Those Deep Purple dudes look like they didn’t get paid after last night’s gig.

[grey_whiskers]

I thought at first it was My Three Suns.

[KC_for_Freedom]

However the military does know how the do this. Classified weapon systems have the lead.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Harmless Teddy Bear]

We have known for decades how to do it.

It is not a classified secret or anything.

We just would rather spend the money on carbon credit or some such nonsense.

[Larry Lucido]

Leave Ritchie Valens alone! Wait, Ritchie Havens? Ritchie somebody.

[cyclotic]

My son worked at NASA on a space observatory mission. His satellite took photos like that every day. He was at a bit on an advantage since the satellite orbited a million miles above Earth.

[grey_whiskers]

Richie Furay? (Look At the Sun)

[mewzilla]

That sunspot looks like a lion passant.

[mewzilla]

More here, including close-ups of the perp...

https://spaceweather.com/