A Major Player Returns | Space Weather News 02.21.2022

Our star really jumps into high gear now that we have crossed the terminator. Old region 2963 is at it’s tricks again on the Sun’s farside, this time firing off a spectacular eruption that also included a radiation storm. No doubt an X-flare was involved to, but luckily for us, all of the action was aimed away from Earth. We did get some amazing imagery though, including a spectacular capture from the EUI telescope aboard Solar Orbiter. Over the next few days, this region will rotate back into Earth view so we will get a better look to see whether or not it has expended all of its energy or it still might have something left to give us a show Earthside. Early looks thus far show it to be quite depleted. However, it will still help to boost the solar flux back into the triple digits giving amateur radio operators a boost to propagation on Earth’s dayside. Aurora photographers also get a boost from several pockets of fast wind that are bumping us to active levels and even storm levels sporadically, and will give photographers at least at high latitudes some decent aurora over the next few days. GPS users will have to remain vigilant though as radio blackouts are still on the menu along with sporadic solar storm conditions, both of which can cause problems for GPS reception, especially near dawn and dusk or near aurora. Learn the exploits of region 2936, catch the eye-candy of the farsided eruption from several spacecraft including Solar Orbiter, and see what else our Sun has in store! Want early access to these forecasts, tutorials on Space Weather, & more? Visit: https://patreon.com/SpaceweatherWoman