Northern Lights Expected Over Canada Thursday Night
The Aurora Borealis may illuminate the sky above as a volatile region on the Sun unleashes intense space weather over the coming nights. A series of solar eruptions has been observed recently by both solar astronomers and space weather fans.
Active Region 4274's Impact on Solar Activity
These solar storms, known as coronal mass ejections, originated either from the far side of the Sun or in directions away from Earth. All have been linked to a single group of sunspots called Active Region 4274, which has recently appeared along the Sun’s eastern limb.
Observations from Space Instruments
An image from NOAA’s GOES-19 weather satellite, taken by the SUVI instrument, shows several bright "active regions" on the Sun as of November. Near the center of this view, a darker spot marks a large coronal hole.
- Four inset images from the NASA/ESA SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C3 coronagraph highlight four major coronal mass ejections attributed to AR 4274 (marked in yellow).
- These images demonstrate the scale and impact of the solar activity linked to this region.
Significant Solar Flare Event on November 4
On the morning of November 4, AR 4274 produced a powerful solar flare classified as X1.8, the strongest observed since the X1.9 flare on June 19.
This flare ranks as the fifth strongest of 2025 to date.
Sources and Credits
Images and data credited to NOAA, NASA/ESA, and Scott Sutherland.
Summary: Active Region 4274 has caused intense solar activity recently, including a strong X1.8 solar flare, setting the stage for increased Aurora Borealis displays over Canada.