X8.7! Huge sunspot blasts biggest flare of solar cycle – Spacecraft sees it and more

X8.7! Huge sunspot blasts biggest flare of solar cycle – Spacecraft sees it and more

Extremely active sunspot AR3664 blasted a major X8.7-class solar flare on May 14, 2023. The sunspot was behind the incredible geomagnetic storms that recently bathed Earth in auroras. Full Story: https://www.space.com/sun-solar-flare-sunspot-ar3664-x88-class-may-14-2024 Earlier in the day it also erupted with a pair of X1-class solar flares. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured all the fireworks. The sunspot is no longer facing Earth, according to Spaceweather.com. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: NASA / SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams