On May 27, a new sunspot region emerged known as AR 3697 and began emitting powerful X-class flares. This region had previously been AR 3664 and produced several flares before rotating out of view in the middle of May. Since its return, AR 3697 has already unleashed another X-class flare, followed by four more at the time of writing.
Despite these new flares, there have been no reports of significant solar storms like those seen in early May. The absence of coronal mass ejections means that the impact on Earth’s magnetosphere and resulting auroras is minimal. However, AR 3697 continues to emit weaker flares on a daily basis, increasing the likelihood of more X-class flares in the future.
AR 3697’s eruptions are situated near the center of the Sun’s disk and are therefore more likely to be directed towards Earth. While this does not guarantee CME activity, there is a higher chance than normal for such events to occur. With the Sun nearing the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, there is potential for another sunspot region to develop and provide additional opportunities for captivating light displays in the coming months.
