Astronomy Picture of the Day - Active Sunspot Region 4366 Crosses the Sun

NASA ^ | 8 Feb, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Korona

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: An unusually active sunspot region is now crossing the Sun. The region, labelled AR 4366, is much larger than the Earth and has produced several powerful solar flares over the past ten days. In the featured image, the region is marked by large and dark sunspots toward the upper right of the Sun's disk. The image captured the Sun over a hill in Zacatecas, Mexico, 5 days ago. AR 4366 has become a candidate for the most active solar region in this entire 11-year solar cycle. Active solar regions are frequently associated with increased auroral activity on the Earth. Now reaching the edge, AR 4366 will begin facing away from the Earth during the coming week. It is not known, though, if the active region will survive long enough to reappear in about two weeks' time, as the Sun rotates.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My eyes and brain are playing tricks again. I read this as:

Active solar regions are frequently associated with increased auroral amoral activity on the Earth.

And I immediately thought "Yep, that's got to be it."

[JimRed]

The Great Question Mark?

[No name given]

Pretty.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Looks like a solar question mark.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[paulcissa]

This sucker wreaked havoc on Amateur Radio HF frequencies. Repeatedly blasted flares reaching X class a few times last week. Angry sun. Solar cycle 25 is a good one.