Solar Active Region Sets One-Day Flare Record

A highly active sunspot region has recorded a near-decade high in solar flare activity over a 24-hour period, according to Russia’s Solar Astronomy Laboratory at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the laboratory said that Active Region 4366 expanded by around 50 percent in size over the past 24 hours and registered a record number of powerful solar flares.

Scientists reported that 18 solar flares were detected from the region within a single day, marking the second-highest number of flares recorded from one solar region in the past decade. The highest figure was documented in December 2024, when 23 flares were observed in the same region during a 24-hour period.

The Applied Geophysics Institute in Moscow had earlier reported a sharp increase in flare activity from Active Region 4366. In a report issued on Monday, experts said they detected 16 flares from the sunspot region on February 1 alone.

Solar flares are classified into five categories based on the strength of their X-ray emissions: A, B, C, M and X. Category A represents the weakest flares, measured at around 10 nanowatts per square meter at Earth’s orbit, with each higher class increasing in intensity by a factor of ten.

Strong solar flares can trigger geomagnetic storms that may disrupt power grids, interfere with satellite communications and navigation systems, and affect aviation operations. 

Scientists also note that such space weather events can influence animal migration patterns and other biological systems sensitive to Earth’s magnetic field.