We’re heading into the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which should happen sometime in 2025, and active solar region 3536 produced on December 31st, the most powerful recorded solar blast since 2017, measured at X5. Don’t let the size of the sunspot fool you, it has been crackling with multiple C class flares since it appeared on the limb of the Sun. Flares are classified in increasing strength as A, B, C, M or X according to their X-ray emissions. X-class flares can cause disruptions in communication and GPS guidance here on Earth.

The above photo was taken with my Skywatcher 80ED apochromatic doublet telescope paired with a Canon 80D DSLR. Four different active solar regions are identified on the photo.

So far none of the ejecta from active region 3536 have struck Earth, but as this active region is still showing beta-gamma magnetic configuration there’s still a high chance of more flares.