Dark Coronal Holes & Bright Active Regions | Space Weather Spotlight 30 January 2025

This week has been an interesting one on the Sun to say the least. We started off watching Region 4299 very closely, but after a single X1.95-flare, that region seems to have spent much of its energy. We also have a large cluster of three regions, just south of the solar equator, which impressed

Our Sun has gotten busy! We have three solar storms on their way to Earth and along with a fast wind chaser, this should keep aurora possibilities high through week's end. Aurora photographers will likely get a treat at high latitudes throughout the week, and those at mid-latitudes could catch the peak of the

This week our Sun kicks things into high gear starting with a surprisingly strong period of storming from some fast solar wind. The magic ingredient was a magnetic island growing inside the coronal hole generating the wind, which led to huge aurora shows deep into mid-latitudes at Earth. Although the fast wind is still

We have two Earth-directed solar storms hitting Earth now! The first, is a stealth-like CME, which is wispy and short, but the second and much larger storm has a hidden surprise. Its signature during the eruption and later in coronagraph imagery signals that there may be quite a bit of coronal material on its

Despite our Sun quieting down for a spell, but don't be fooled, more activity is just around the corner. A big coronal hole will be rotating through the Earth-strike zone in just a couple of days, so aurora photographers, expect the chance for aurora possible through Wednesday of next week. That being said, the

Description update August 5: This week a fast-growing sunspot cluster on the Sun's farside takes center stage. The cluster named Region 4165 emerged quickly and soon split into two regions as it entered Earth's view. The newest part, Region 4168, has now not only fired multiple large flares, but just today has launched an

This week our Sun is giving us a puzzle to solve. A complex solar storm has hit Earth, but thus far it has been all northward field. This means amateur radio operators may have noticed some improvement on the nightside radio bands, but aurora photographers have been underwhelmed. Expect these conditions to continue through

Our Sun continues creating some gorgeous art this week, launching simultaneous filament eruptions off the Sun's west limb. Although those are not Earth-directed, we are being hit by a mini solar storm now with minor effects thus far. We also will get some fast wind as a chaser over the next few days, but

This week our Sun gets busy, especially with big flares, including an X1.27-flare from Region 4114. But despite the active cluster of regions crossing through the Earth strike zone now, there have not been any big Earth-directed solar storms launched. For the most part, the Sun is only firing wispy, narrow structures towards Earth,

Our Sun settles down finally after the big G3+ storm series that passed over Earth at the beginning of the month. Although we are getting hit by a final storm in that series, this one is so wispy that Earth has hardy noticed. Things might intensify once we get an enhancement from some fast