Sol (Sun) and its phenomena

[Gaby]

The storm we are going through is full of twists and turns:

Here's the month of April as of the other day, without the solar flares. More to come.

My best guess so far, the surge might be related to Comet PanSTARRS.

Good guess! See how the sun's activity kind of arches in the direction of the comet.

And in keeping track of the weird and unexplained activity, this happened on April 21st, a couple of days ago:

The star, which had no energy at all for the past two weeks, suddenly began to revive a little. In the morning, a fairly large double outburst of prominences was recorded, which occurred simultaneously at the north and south poles of the Sun. In general, it is always impressive when you see how two solar regions, separated by a distance of about 2 million kilometers, somehow mysteriously synchronize activity with each other with an accuracy of almost minutes. At the same time, the background level of X-ray radiation jumped by about 2 times, returning to the "C" level, from which it went down in early April.

Visually, the reasons for the growth are not very clear yet. Apparently, the main energy release occurs on the eastern (left) edge of the Sun, but the details are still difficult to make out. It seems that during the day everything will either calm down, and then the question of the causes will lose its relevance, or, conversely, it will grow to a level where it will be possible to sort out the situation without any tension.

Direct link to the video (5 MB) — link (https://xras.ru/info/images/20260421_cme.mp4 ).

Laboratory of Solar Astronomy (xras.ru ) (http://t.me/lpixras )

 

[Olivierlejardinier]

Major flare from the west limb.

An X2.5 level flare — the highest rating — has been registered on the Sun

The increasing activity on the Sun, as predicted the day before, has exceeded the threshold of the highest-level flares. An X2.5 flare occurred on the Sun at 04:07 Moscow time. The event is the strongest in almost 2.5 months. The largest flare, of X4.2 level, was last registered on February 4th against the backdrop of an exceptionally powerful series of solar events that occurred those days, which ultimately became the strongest in the current century.

The occurred flare was accompanied by a large plasma ejection, which is clearly visible in the images received from space telescopes. At the same time, the center of the explosion is quite strongly shifted towards the edge of the Sun (the angle to the direction to Earth is more than 60°), and moreover, it is even visible to the eye that the plasma is moving sideways, so there is a high probability that the event will be neutral for the Earth. A more precise conclusion can be made during the day based on the results of mathematical modeling. In any case, frontal impacts in such a situation are excluded, and it is only possible that the planet will be touched by the edge of the plasma cloud.

There are currently no signs of a decline in activity. New major events are possible during the day.

Video in original quality (5 MB) — link.

Solar Astronomy Laboratory (xras.ru)

https://twitter.com/x/status/2047551621274722671

Comet Panstarrs position (green dot) today:

 

[Gaby]

Comet Panstarrs position (green dot) today:

Very interesting after this "quiet" period. At least we can be reassured it's not a minimum yet. Xras.ru says that the center of the explosion is quite strongly shifted towards the edge of the Sun (the angle to the direction to Earth is more than 60°).

Here's the highlighted planetary alignments by SSGEOS, while the comet is aligned with the sun and Earth.

Another view of the alignments with the comet included, planets labeled:

Sun flared from its west limb, right-hand side as viewed from Earth. Maybe Mercury helped sparked it, which is aligned by itself with Mars and Saturn behind it. And Mars by itself, aligned in Earth-Venus-Mars at 90 degrees. Or not... The astrological readings for this alignement vis a vis the situation in the Middle East must be very interesting though.

 

[EmeraldR]

Very interesting after this "quiet" period. At least we can be reassured it's not a minimum yet. Xras.ru says that the center of the explosion is quite strongly shifted towards the edge of the Sun (the angle to the direction to Earth is more than 60°).

Here's the highlighted planetary alignments by SSGEOS, while the comet is aligned with the sun and Earth.

View attachment 118319

Another view of the alignments with the comet included, planets labeled:

View attachment 118320

Sun flared from its west limb, right-hand side as viewed from Earth. Maybe Mercury helped sparked it, which is aligned by itself with Mars and Saturn behind it. And Mars by itself, aligned in Earth-Venus-Mars at 90 degrees. Or not... The astrological readings for this alignement vis a vis the situation in the Middle East must be very interesting though.

Uranus Entering Gemini: Long-Term Shifts
On April 25, 2026, Uranus enters Gemini, initiating a seven-year transit that astrologers associate with profound disruption in communication, technology, and global relations. This shift is expected to trigger geopolitical realignments in Syria, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, potentially through uprisings, diplomatic shifts, or information-based warfare. The Middle East is viewed as a focal point due to its historical volatility and strategic significance, with ripple effects anticipated worldwide.

Nature of Conflict and Global Impact
Rather than traditional warfare, the Uranus in Gemini transit suggests a rise in technology-driven and information-based conflicts, including cyber warfare, media manipulation, and surveillance. This period may also bring economic disruptions, particularly in trade and energy markets, alongside environmental risks such as earthquakes and flash flooding. The transit is likened to a "Generational Reset," comparable to the transformative periods of the 1940s, with potential for both chaos and innovation.

 

[Gaby]

However, I do hope there's a few solar storms in store. Smile, a joined mission between the European Space Agency and Chinese Academy of Science to study Earth's magnetic field and how it responds to solar storms, is going to be launched soon from French Guiana. The initial launch schedule for tomorrow was already postponed due to technical issues. I wish them luck in their endeavors, though.

Sabotage or not, it's back on schedule. Good luck, Smile!

Smile set to launch on 19 May

The European-Chinese Smile mission is due to launch on Tuesday 19 May 2026, at 05:52 CEST / 04:52 BST / 00:52 local time on a European Vega-C rocket.
The initial launch date was postponed as a precautionary measure, after a technical issue was identified on the production line of a Vega-C subsystem component. Both Smile and the Vega-C that will take it to space remain stable and safe.

Following the completion of careful investigations into the issue, all partners have agreed on 19 May as the new launch date.

Smile is a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It will reveal how Earth responds to the streams of particles and bursts of radiation from the Sun, using an X-ray camera to make the first X-ray observations of Earth’s magnetic field, and an ultraviolet camera to watch the northern lights non-stop for 45 hours at a time.

Launch preparations are progressing well at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. In March, Smile was fuelled, integrated with the Vega-C rocket adapter, and enclosed inside the rocket fairing.

During the launch, the four stages of the Vega-C will separate one by one, before finally releasing Smile after 57 minutes. Smile’s solar panels will unfold after 63 minutes – the milestone that confirms launch success.

The launch will drop Smile off into a low-Earth orbit. From there, the spacecraft will take over to bring itself to its final, egg-shaped orbit that goes 121 000 km above the North Pole to collect data, before coming 5000 km above the South Pole to deliver it to waiting ground stations.

 

[SasaM]

Major flare from the west limb.



Solar Astronomy Laboratory (xras.ru)

View attachment 118317

https://twitter.com/x/status/2047551621274722671

Comet Panstarrs position (green dot) today:

View attachment 118318

Comparing the comet Panstarrs' position from the image in a previous post in the thread:

My best guess so far, the surge might be related to Comet PanSTARRS.
...
Solar Astronomy Laboratory (xras.ru)

View attachment 118287

it gives the impression that this X class solar flare, going by the location on the solar disc that apparently gave birth to the flare (upper right/Western part), was in some way related, not to go on the limb and say triggered, by the comet itself.

FWIW.

 

[SasaM]

Here's the highlighted planetary alignments by SSGEOS, while the comet is aligned with the sun and Earth.

View attachment 118319

Another view of the alignments with the comet included, planets labeled:

View attachment 118320

Can you please give the link to the second orrery image, would like to see how does it look like when viewed from Earth towards the solar disc, i.e. where is the comet located in respect to Earth-to-Sun line of sight?

Have a bit of an issue on the smartphone to reach that 'perspective' or point of view using the 'orrery' link Olivierlejardinier posted in his/her last post here.

Edit: Olivier's link does not provide image closer than cca 2 AU from the Sun, but from the gist of it, it looks like the comet was really in general direction of upper right/Western part of the field of view when viewed from the position of our planet when the flare occured.

 

[Gaby]

Can you please give the link to the second orrery image, would like to see how does it look like when viewed from Earth towards the solar disc, i.e. where is the comet located in respect to Earth-to-Sun line of sight?

You can see it here and change the angles and point of views:

A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky | TheSkyLive

TheSkyLive offers comprehensive information about the most interesting celestial objects, and a set of tools designed to support the exploration and observation activities for astronomy enthusiasts at every skill levels

theskylive.com

If you select the key word PANSTARRS in big pink letters, you'll get to the image I provided. However, I'm looking at the main page above and wondering if it was actually an alignement with 88P/HOWELL, Mercury and the Sun. Mercury is known to be quite the "sparking".

PANSTARRS does have a more elongated orbit which is more discharging though.

On other news, there was a second X flare today!

Not bad at all for a Sun that was supposed to be quieting down.

 

[SasaM]

You can see it here and change the angles and point of views:

A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky | TheSkyLive

TheSkyLive offers comprehensive information about the most interesting celestial objects, and a set of tools designed to support the exploration and observation activities for astronomy enthusiasts at every skill levels

theskylive.com

If you select the key word PANSTARRS in big pink letters, you'll get to the image I provided. However, I'm looking at the main page above and wondering if it was actually an alignement with 88P/HOWELL, Mercury and the Sun. Mercury is known to be quite the "sparking".

PANSTARRS does have a more elongated orbit which is more discharging though.

On other news, there was a second X flare today!

View attachment 118336

View attachment 118337

Not bad at all for a Sun that was supposed to be quieting down.

Thanks!

Mercury seems to be located more in direction to lower right of the solar disc when viewed from the Earth though... But that does not necessarily mean those X flares' regions on the Sun were not somehow electromagnetically connected to where Mercury was orbiting at the time of this current flaring activity.

Edit: Smartphone apparently is not a good choice for playing and adjusting PoV on these interactive images when it comes to fine tuning. Fingers and their movements on the touchscreen seem to be too clumsy for that. Will check in more details later on laptop/computer using standard mouse controls.

 

[Laurentien2]

Can you please give the link to the second orrery image, would like to see how does it look like when viewed from Earth towards the solar disc, i.e. where is the comet located in respect to Earth-to-Sun line of sight?

Have a bit of an issue on the smartphone to reach that 'perspective' or point of view using the 'orrery' link Olivierlejardinier posted in his/her last post here.

Edit: Olivier's link does not provide image closer than cca 2 AU from the Sun, but from the gist of it, it looks like the comet was really in general direction of upper right/Western part of the field of view when viewed from the position of our planet when the flare occured.

Here is what I got from google AI.
Aperçu généré par IA



On April 26, 2026, Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) will make its closest approach to Earth (perigee), passing at a distance of approximately 44-46 million miles (about 0.49 AU). During this time, the comet is predicted to be in the vicinity of the ecliptic plane, having passed its perihelion (closest point to the sun) around April 19–20.

USA Today +3
Key Position Details for April 26, 2026:

• Closest Approach: The comet is at its closest to Earth, with its position moving into the southern hemisphere's viewing range, making it difficult to observe from the Northern Hemisphere due to the solar glare.
• Ecliptic Position: Following its perihelion on April 19-20, the comet will pass "edge-on" from an Earthly perspective around April 29, indicating it is crossing or very near the ecliptic plane during late April.
• Observability: The comet is expected to be best viewed in the southern hemisphere in late April and early May.

 

[Gaby]

• Closest Approach: The comet is at its closest to Earth, with its position moving into the southern hemisphere's viewing range, making it difficult to observe from the Northern Hemisphere due to the solar glare.
• Ecliptic Position: Following its perihelion on April 19-20, the comet will pass "edge-on" from an Earthly perspective around April 29, indicating it is crossing or very near the ecliptic plane during late April.
• Observability: The comet is expected to be best viewed in the southern hemisphere in late April and early May.

I can't remember which video was it, but in McCanney's illustration here, I think the white lines going up and down is in reference to the ecliptic (?). I'm not sure though. He posted about it so long ago and "en passant", i.e. barely skimming through it.

 

[Gaby]

xras.ru gives the perspective of the comet in regards to the sun:

Fly, fly, petal, through the west to the east....

It seems as if the Sun is hitting the comet with plasma clouds, but in this case it is an illusion. The comet is now flying almost exactly between the Earth and the Sun: it is 75 million kilometers away from us, and the Sun is 75 million kilometers further behind it. The emissions hit exactly sideways. It would be interesting to see a plasma impact on the tail, but for this the cloud must be thrown not sideways, but directly to the Earth. Then, halfway to Earth, it will hit the comet.

Link to the video in its original quality (2 MB) — link (https://xras.ru/info/images/20260424_R3.mp4 ).

See the entire video to appreciate the flares.

 

[SasaM]

Here is what I got from google AI.
Aperçu généré par IA



On April 26, 2026, Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) will make its closest approach to Earth (perigee), passing at a distance of approximately 44-46 million miles (about 0.49 AU). During this time, the comet is predicted to be in the vicinity of the ecliptic plane, having passed its perihelion (closest point to the sun) around April 19–20.
View attachment 118341USA Today +3
Key Position Details for April 26, 2026:

• Closest Approach: The comet is at its closest to Earth, with its position moving into the southern hemisphere's viewing range, making it difficult to observe from the Northern Hemisphere due to the solar glare.
• Ecliptic Position: Following its perihelion on April 19-20, the comet will pass "edge-on" from an Earthly perspective around April 29, indicating it is crossing or very near the ecliptic plane during late April.
• Observability: The comet is expected to be best viewed in the southern hemisphere in late April and early May.

Thanks!

So, at its perigee, or its perihelion with Earth as Gaby said in Comet and Asteroids thread (I like that expression, as if our Earth became a star already ), the comet will be located, according to the AI, not only half the distance (0.49 AU) between the Earth and the Sun from our planet, but also approximately right between them.

Hm, should we be expecting some fireworks from our star celebrating the rendezvous with this cosmic passenger?
Or perhaps we are already seeing it with these recent flaring activity?

xras.ru gives the perspective of the comet in regards to the sun:

See the entire video to appreciate the flares.

View attachment 118342

They apparently do not take into account Parker's spiral and possible electromagnetic connections between the Sun and the comet, which do not have to be straight lines as the name spiral indicates, as the comet passes relatively closer in space to our star.

 

[Gaby]

Here's a photo of the flare submitted to SpaceWeather.com:

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

The sun has been quiet for weeks. That ended today with two powerful X-class solar flares. In quick succession, sunspot 4419 unleashed X2.4 (0107 UT) and X2.5 (0813 UT) explosions. Alerted by the first flare, Austrian astrophotographer Michael Jaeger caught the second.

Both solar flares caused shortwave radio blackouts on Earth--the first over the Pacific Ocean near Australia, and the second over the Persian Gulf. Anyone using shortwave radios in those areas may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 20 MHz just after the respective flares.

Both flares also hurled CMEs into space. First-look NASA models suggest that the two storm clouds will barely miss Earth, although we can't yet rule out at least one glancing blow on April 26th. Stay tuned for updates!​

 

[SasaM]

Few commentary thoughts about the hypothetical cometary induced upsurges in solar activity ala solar flares and CMEs.

According to our current solar model, without going into too much physical details (those more into that field of research, please correct me if being wrong, as solar physics is not my area of specialized expertise), solar flares and CMEs happen when sort of (electro)magnetic envelopes or magnetic field lines in solar atmosphere break. Kind of like popping up of a (electro)magnetic balloon with consequent ejection of its content, in the form of trapped energy and/or mass, through the just 'created hole in the balloon' in the surrounding space.

Comets, especially those with highly elongated and inclined orbits WRT the ecliptic plane, hypothetically have more potential for discharging the solar capacitor and therefore (re)connecting and 'dragging' the solar (electro)magnetic field lines as they travel toward the Sun.

Reaching and passing through perihelion, the comets start to 'pull' the lines connected to them and to their electromagnetic fields in sort of an opposite direction, i.e. from 'compressing' the solar magnetic field lines toward the solar surface and atmosphere, the comets now, after having passed through the perihelion, start to 'stretch' those lines away from the Sun. That 'sudden' change in stress or pressure direction increases the probability for breaking the lines as they become more and more 'stretched', until they actually break.

In those cases when comets affected solar e-m field lines rather close, in relative terms, to the Sun's surface and to its atmosphere, for example because the perihelion was spatially close to the Sun and/or the cometary e-m field was rather strong so to connect to those lines even if the comet was apparently further away from the Sun, breaking of those solar e-m field lines might be accompanied by palpable solar energy and/or mass ejection, which we observe as solar flares and/or CMEs.

If this reasoning is on trace of being correct, then it is more probable that the cometary induced uptick in solar activity ala solar flares and/or CMEs, if there is one that is, will happen AFTER the comet passes its perihelion (than when the comet was on its way toward the inner solar system).

Also, as the exact location where the cometary affected local solar e-m envelope would break or the local solar e-m 'balloon' would pop open is not necessarily directly related to exact position of the comet (after it has passed its perihelion), where the eventual solar flares and/or CMEs actually occur on the solar disc does not necessarily need to be 'directly pointing' to exact comet's location in space at the time of their occurence. Although, if they were really induced by the passage of a particular comet, the locations and directions of solar energy and/or mass ejections of those solar flares and/or CMEs would be expected to point at least in the general direction of the cometary trajectory up to the point when they occured.
(This last sentence might be rather debatable as spatial arrangements of field lines for complex e-m fields like our Sun's might be 'extremely' complex and complicated from our human perspective.)