Northern Lights Forecast to Shine Over Canada Thursday Night
The Aurora Borealis may dazzle the sky tonight as intense space weather approaches Earth. A highly active region on the Sun has been producing notable solar activity recently.
Solar Activity and Impact
Over the past weeks, both solar astronomers and space weather enthusiasts have observed a remarkable series of eruptions from the Sun. These coronal mass ejections, also known as solar storms, mostly occurred either on the far side of the Sun or were directed away from Earth.
All of these events have been linked to a single sunspot group called Active Region 4274, which has recently rotated into view near the Sun's eastern edge.
Observations from Space Instruments
An image taken by the SUVI instrument aboard NOAA's GOES-19 weather satellite reveals several bright active regions on the Sun, including AR 4274. Near the center, a subtle dark area marks a large coronal hole.
- The NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft's LASCO C3 coronagraph captured four significant coronal mass ejections associated with AR 4274.
On the morning of November 4, a powerful solar flare exploded from AR 4274. Measured as an X1.8-class flare, it is the strongest since the X1.9 flare on June 19. It ranks as the fifth strongest flare of 2025 so far.
Summary
The ongoing solar activity, primarily driven by AR 4274, is expected to create impressive Northern Lights displays over Canada.
Author's summary: A recently active sunspot region is generating strong solar flares and coronal mass ejections, promising vibrant auroras over Canada tonight.