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Giant Sunspot AR4366 Keeps Firing Powerful Flares as Forecasters Watch for CME Threat

Recent X-class blasts disrupted radio service in parts of West Africa and southern Europe.

Overview

  • The active region AR4366 spans roughly 15 Earth diameters and is visible with proper solar filters only.
  • Since rotating into view on January 30, it has unleashed more than 20 M- and X-class flares, including an X8.3 event on February 1 that only grazed Earth.
  • An X4.2 flare caused shortwave radio outages reported across portions of West Africa and southern Europe.
  • Observers have logged about five coronal mass ejections from the region so far, with limited Earth-directed effects and auroras mostly confined to high latitudes.
  • NOAA and NASA are watching for any CME that could be directed at Earth in the coming days, while Artemis 2 shifted its target to March after a rehearsal issue with solar activity still under review.