Northern Lights Forecast to Shine Over Canada Thursday Night
The Aurora Borealis may dazzle the skies above Canada this Thursday night. A highly active region on the Sun, emitting solar flares and storms, is creating intense space weather expected to continue in the coming nights.
Recent Solar Activity
Over recent weeks, both solar astronomers and space weather fans have observed a remarkable sequence of eruptions from the Sun. These events, known as coronal mass ejections (solar storms), either occurred on the Sun's far side or were directed away from Earth.
All these eruptions have been traced to one group of sunspots, called Active Region 4274. This region recently rotated into view along the Sun's eastern limb.
Sun Imagery and Observations
The image captured by the SUVI instrument aboard NOAA's GOES-19 satellite highlights several bright active regions on the Sun as of early November. Near the center, a darker area marks a large coronal hole.
- Four inset images from NASA/ESA's SOHO spacecraft using the LASCO C3 coronagraph show four large coronal mass ejections linked to Active Region 4274 (indicated in yellow).
Notable Solar Flare on November 4
On the morning of November 4, Active Region 4274 produced a powerful solar flare, classified as X1.8. This is the strongest flare observed since the X1.9 event on June 19 and ranks as the fifth most powerful flare of 2025 to date.
"Measured as an X1.8-class flare, it is the strongest we've seen from the Sun since the X1.9 flare on June 19."
Sources: NOAA, NASA/ESA, Scott Sutherland
Summary: Active Region 4274 on the Sun is unleashing significant solar storms, increasing the chances of spectacular Northern Lights displays over Canada this Thursday night.