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The drama of sun activity continues, with that big active region, AR3014 – which reached record size this week as the biggest sunspot of Solar Cycle 25 to date – is now beginning to decrease in size again. Can’t you just picture it? The magnetic forces at play on our star, which caused this sunspot to bubble up to monster size … and then lose its steam? The sunspot is still more than five times the size of Earth!

In other sun news, ESA released a dazzling array of new, close-up images, gifs and videos of our star this week, acquired by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft as it passed close to the sun in March 2022. See the sun as you’ve never seen it before, including a new feature dubbed the hedgehog.

Over the past 24 hours, we’ve seen only C-class solar flares. It was a decreased level of activity, in contrast to the day before. The chance for C flares remains at 99%, with a 40% chance for M flares, and 5% for X flares. There are currently no Earth-directed CMEs.

The geomagnetic activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled, with some increase in activity due to coronal hole effects. Conditions should return to mostly quiet on May 23 and May 24.

A big active region on the sun, AR3014, has gotten even bigger! It’s now seven times the size of Earth. This region is the largest sunspot group from the current solar cycle, Cycle 25, so far.

Meanwhile, activity for May 21 remains low, with mostly C-class solar flares. But AR3014 – the big ‘un – did produce an M3.03-flare on May 20. The chance of flaring today is 99% for C-flares, 40% for M-flares, and 5% for X-flares.

The current geomagnetic activity is quiet with a chance for a slight increase due to coronal hole effects.

A WEEK OF SUN! A four-panel look at SDO 304, 171, 193, and 131 angstrom wavelengths from May 12 to halfway through May 19. Flares, filament eruptions, coronal holes, and more. ???? pic.twitter.com/9oABOjaysO

— Dr. C. Alex Young (@TheSunToday) May 19, 2022

Sun activity has increased from low to moderate, due to increasing flaring. Over the past 24 hours, the sun has produced 7 C-class flares, the largest a C7.8, and 4 M-class flares. The largest M-flares, an M5.6, are from between regions AR3014 and AR3017. There are eight numbered sunspot active regions. The most productive regions are AR3014 and AR3017.

AR3014 continues to show the most potential. It has grown in size and complexity. Its classification has the highest magnetic complexity characteristic, called a delta configuration by solar physicists. It indicates that more potential energy has built up. Delta regions are where X-flares typically originate.

AR3014 has grown to over 1000 MH, or millionths of a visible solar disk (hemisphere). This is the standard measure for sunspot size. Earth is 169 MH. The largest regions in recent history are around 3000 MH. And one of the most famous sunspot regions, the great region of 1947, was well over 6000 MH. See the tweet below for historical size comparison.

Coronagraph imagery in recent days has revealed several CMEs, but, currently, none are Earth-directed. We have observed another of the famous sungrazing comets in the SOHO/LASCO coronagraph. SOHO has observed more than 4,370 of this type of comet since 1996. The very cool video in the tweet below shows the comet sailing into the sun.

Geomagnetic activity remains unsettled due to solar wind from a coronal hole.

COMET CRASHES INTO THE SUN. pic.twitter.com/eqURaslmWL

BIG SPOTS! How big can a sunspot get if a sunspot could get big? Earth is 169 MH (millionths of a Sun’s visible hemisphere) Historic sunspot regions, AR9393(2001)=2440MH, AR10486(2003)=2610MH, AR12192(2014)=2700MH, Great spot of 1947=6100MH! The biggest spot today is only 170 MH. pic.twitter.com/JgskNlVEva

— Dr. C. Alex Young (@TheSunToday) May 18, 2022

After many days of quiet, sun activity picked up slightly over the past 24 hours, with some moderate flaring on May 18, 2022, and early on May 19. But, overall, activity remains low. The most active regions are AR3014 and AR3017. AR3014 produced an M1.1 flare late in the day on May 18. It was followed by several C-flares and an M1.5 at 10 UTC on May 19. Region AR3017 had the largest flares, a C7.8 at 6:29 UTC and a M5.6 at 7:20 UTC on May 19.

AR3014 is the most promising for continued flaring. The region is growing and has the most complex magnetic configuration indicating the highest potential for activity. The overall flare forecast is a 99% chance of C-flares, 35% for M-flares, and 15% chance for X-flares. The sun has many filaments around the disk and on the limb. Some have erupted, but no significant CMEs were observed.

Geomagnetic activity remains unsettled and should stay so for the next 2 days due to continued influence from solar wind produced by coronal holes.

The Earth-facing side of the sun’s disk now has seven numbered regions. None of which are producing significant activity. We had an M2.4 flare on May 16, 2022, and a C9 flare on May 17. And we saw a beautiful filament eruption off the sun’s northwest limb on May 17. It produced a CME, but it is not Earth-directed.

Geomagnetic activity on May 18 is unsettled, but expected to calm as the current influence of solar wind from a coronal hole wanes. Another coronal hole should increase geomagnetic levels to slightly more active on May 19 – 20. A possible nearby CME passage on May 20 could also keep levels up. This all means slightly elevated auroral levels at higher latitudes. These forecasts are general. If you are in auroral regions it is best to check your local forecast for more precise information.

During the mornings of May 16 and 17, 2022, from the boundaries of very mild B-class flares, the sun displayed several C-class flares (C5, C5.6, C6.3). Then we saw an even stronger M2.4 flare. All the activity came from the northeast side of the disk, the main player being sunspot region AR3017. Sunspot regions AR3014 and AR3015 also played a role. Although not in X-flare territory, the sun continues to increase in its activity. Stay tuned.

Much as in the past few days, the sun is quiet. There have been beautiful flares and prominences, but all in the C flare range (“small with few noticeable consequences on Earth”). Sunspot region AR3007 – which rotated into view around May 9 and has provided some activity – has grown in size and complexity. At this time, its activity is low, too, although it’s still in a position to become more active.

Newcomer sunspot regions AR3011, AR3014 and AR3015 have been erupting, even as they were hiding behind the northeastern limb (or edge) of the sun. Strong activity is expected to arise from those regions in the future.

The coronal hole we saw last week has also been growing in size, too. And, looking towards the west, another coronal hole has appeared. Coronal holes contribute to a high-speed solar wind, among other strong solar phenomena.

A week of sun fun! A look at solar activity sliding through SDO 304/171/193/131 wavelengths as time progresses from May 5 to early May 12. ????? pic.twitter.com/XQYIhtUY9z

— Dr. C. Alex Young (@TheSunToday) May 12, 2022

We invite you all to send us your beautiful recent photos of sunspots and auroras. We love receiving your photos! To those of you who’ve already posted a photo to our community, thank you.

Bottom line: As of May 22, 2022, the drama of sun activity continues, with that big active region, AR3014 – which reached record size this week as the biggest sunspot of Solar Cycle 25 to date – now beginning to decrease in size.

Why are east and west on the sun reversed?