Sun news: M flare erupts as solar activity ticks upward

What’s Happening

Listen up: Sun news for March 28, 2026: AR4405 fires an M1.

A coronal hole stream arrives March 29, with G1 storm and aurora chances possible. The post Sun news: M flare erupts as solar activity ticks upward first appeared on EarthSky. (yes, really)

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The Details

Todays top story: The sun shook off a quiet spell overnight. Sunspot region AR4405 a sprawling beta-class region perched on the southeastern limb fired an M1.

3 flare at 2:13 UTC on March 28. It was the strongest event of the past day and a step up from the low-level C-class activity that dominated the previous day.

Why This Matters

The moderate flare triggered an R1 (minor) radio blackout, briefly disrupting high-frequency communications over Malaysia. And, overall, AR4405 was the undisputed troublemaker of the period. It produced seven of the days eight flares.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• Meanwhile, AR4401, a more magnetically complex beta-gamma region sitting near disk center, continued to evolve.
• It gained maturing penumbra in its intermediate area and maintaining the mixed-magnetic configuration that keeps forecasters watching it closely.
• On the space weather side, conditions remained calm.
• The solar wind drifted back toward ambient levels, and the geomagnetic field stayed quiet throughout.

The Bottom Line

Speeds peaked early in the period before gradually declining . The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) total strength reached moderate values at 02:00 UTC March 27 before settling to lower values.

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