Sun Released a Powerful Solar Flare: What Are the Impacts on Earth and Technology?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - In early February 2026, the Sun exhibited extraordinary activity, unleashing a series of powerful solar flares.

Some of these even fell into the X-class category, the most intense type of flare our star can produce.

This series of flares originated from a giant sunspot called AR4366, nicknamed the "solar flare factory" due to its high magnetic complexity.

This intense activity coincides with Solar Cycle 25, which is expected to peak between November 2024 and March 2026.

The impact of these solar flares is not limited to disrupting high-frequency radio communications but also has the potential to trigger beautiful auroras at lower latitudes than usual.

Continuous monitoring by agencies such as NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is crucial for mitigating risks to our vital infrastructure.

The Sun experienced extraordinary activity in early February 2026, with a surprising series of powerful solar flares.

On February 1, 2026, three powerful flares occurred, peaking at 7:33 a.m. ET, 6:37 p.m. ET, and 7:36 p.m. ET, continued with a fourth powerful flare on February 2, 2026, peaking at 3:14 a.m. ET.

Overall, between February 1 and 2, 2026, the Sun emitted at least 18 M-class flares and three X-class flares.

Solar flares are classified by strength, ranging from A, B, C, M, to X, with each letter indicating a tenfold increase in energy.

The X8.1 flare, which occurred on February 1, 2026, at approximately 6:57 PM EST (11:57 PM GMT), was the most powerful flare recorded so far in 2026.

It was also the most powerful flare since October 2024 and ranks as the 19th most powerful flare ever recorded.

The first flare classification was X1.0, the second X8.1, the third X2.8, and the fourth X1.6, indicating a significant burst of energy from the Sun.

The intense solar flare activity in early February 2026 was centered on a sunspot region called AR4366.

This region has grown rapidly in recent days, earning it the nickname “solar flare factory” by Spaceweather.com due to its extremely high magnetic complexity.

Sunspot AR4366 has grown into a giant nearly 10 times wider than Earth.

This phenomenon happens during Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2019 and is expected to peak between November 2024 and March 2026.

During this peak period, the frequency and intensity of solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) tend to increase significantly.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that can impact various aspects of Earth, particularly communications and technology.

The X8.1 flare triggered a strong radio blackout (R3) in the sunlit hemisphere, disrupting high-frequency (HF) communications for aviation, maritime, and amateur radio users, particularly in the South Pacific, eastern Australia, and New Zealand.

The extreme ultraviolet radiation from the flare ionizes Earth's upper atmosphere, causing prolonged absorption of HF signals below 20 MHz and radio loss.

Furthermore, solar flares are often accompanied by Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), which are large explosions of plasma ejected from the Sun.

Modeling of the CME associated with the X8.1 flare indicates that most of the material will pass northward and eastward by the end of February 5 UTC, with possible glancing influences.

The impacts of solar flares and CMEs extend to vital technological infrastructure such as electric power systems and GPS.

Satellites in orbit are also vulnerable to interference and damage from high-energy particle radiation while for spacecraft and astronauts, solar flares pose a serious risk due to radiation exposure.

Despite the occurrence of a series of X-class flares, geomagnetic conditions are expected to remain stable.

However, if a CME were to strike Earth directly, it could trigger a geomagnetic storm that could affect technological systems more broadly.

Therefore, monitoring and prediction are crucial.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) continuously monitors the Sun and captures images of these flare events, while NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is the U.S. government's official source for space weather forecasts, monitoring, warnings, and notifications.