This week our Sun kicks things into high gear starting with a surprisingly strong period of storming from some fast solar wind. The magic ingredient was a magnetic island growing inside the coronal hole generating the wind, which led to huge aurora shows deep into mid-latitudes at Earth. Although the fast wind is still ongoing, the peak of the storm has passed and we should return to calm conditions on Earth’s nightside in the next day or so. That being said, new regions are growing fast on the Sun’s east limb and that means big flares and radio blackouts are expected to return later in the week on earth’s dayside. Noise on the dayside radio bands will also start increasing over the next few days so amateur radio operators and GPS users should stay vigilant for more signal degradation and reception issues. Learn the details of what caused the strong G3-level storming, catch aurora highlights from recent storms, and find out how the new east limb activity will affect you.

We have two Earth-directed solar storms hitting Earth now! The first, is a stealth-like CME, which is wispy and short, but the second and much larger storm has a hidden surprise. Its signature during the eruption and later in coronagraph imagery signals that there may be quite a bit of coronal material on its way to us. This may be why we are already seeing a strong shock signature before the event has even arrived. Aurora photographers could get a great show if the magnetic field of this storm is favorably oriented, even down into mid-latitudes. However, radio operators and GPS users should expect the next couple of days will bring disruptions and mild inconveniences with respect to radio signal propagation and GPS reception. Precision farmers, satellite navigation users, and UAV pilots should remain extra vigilant over the next couple of days as unexpected signal fades or erroneous navigation and timing signals are possible. Learn the details of this coming storm, see when aurora may be visible, and find out what else our Sun has in store.

Despite our Sun quieting down for a spell, but don’t be fooled, more activity is just around the corner. A big coronal hole will be rotating through the Earth-strike zone in just a couple of days, so aurora photographers, expect the chance for aurora possible through Wednesday of next week. That being said, the coming fast solar wind will have the wrong magnetic polarity so aurora shows may be somewhat subdued, but the dim moon will help ensure we get the most out of the show. Now might be a good time to catch the waning Perseid meteor shower as well. Amateur radio operators should also enjoy a few more days of quieter conditions than last week. This is because the biggest flare players have all rotated to the Sun’s farside. However, some of them will begin rotating back into view on the Sun’s east limb in about 4 days so enjoy the break from radio blackouts, while you have it! Learn the details of the coming fast wind, watch the Sun’s symmetry create a living work of art (again!), and see how we know there are big players on the Sun’s farside.

Description update August 5: This week a fast-growing sunspot cluster on the Sun’s farside takes center stage. The cluster named Region 4165 emerged quickly and soon split into two regions as it entered Earth’s view. The newest part, Region 4168, has now not only fired multiple large flares, but just today has launched an Earth-directed solar storm. Although we are still waiting on coronagraph data, it looks like the storm could reach Earth sometime late on August 7. Watch this forecast for details on how this sunspot cluster originally emerged on the farside and grew to the big flare player it is now and more.

This week our Sun is giving us a puzzle to solve. A complex solar storm has hit Earth, but thus far it has been all northward field. This means amateur radio operators may have noticed some improvement on the nightside radio bands, but aurora photographers have been underwhelmed. Expect these conditions to continue through today. Outside of this ongoing storm, we do have a lot of new regions on the East limb of the Sun and more that will rotate into Earth-view over the next several days. Expect more noise on the dayside radio bands starting around Thursday as this region rotates into view. Not sure if it will be active enough to cause big radio blackouts, but its rapid growth makes bigger flares and solar storm launches a possibility. Learn the details of this triple front storm, fins out where aurora is happening, and see what else our Sun has in store.

Our Sun is finally showing signs of waking up! Along with the extended fast solar wind that has been hitting Earth over the past few days, we have several recent filament eruptions, one of which looks like it might give us a little disturbance as it passes nearby Earth, plus some active regions clusters that are growing. This means we may see some enhanced storming starting July 18 that peaks around July 19. Aurora photographers at high latitudes might get a bit more aurora than usual, but mid-latitude watchers will likely need to continue waiting for better conditions. Back at the Sun, the growing active region cluster has already caused the risk for solar flares and radio blackouts to increase. Amateur radio operators and GPS users might see conditions get noisier, especially on the dayside radio bands over the next few days. In addition to the growing activity on the Sun’s farside, it looks like we will need to stay on our toes both this week and next! Learn the details of the growing activity, watch some spectacular filament launches, and see what else our Sun has in store.

Our Sun continues creating some gorgeous art this week, launching simultaneous filament eruptions off the Sun’s west limb. Although those are not Earth-directed, we are being hit by a mini solar storm now with minor effects thus far. We also will get some fast wind as a chaser over the next few days, but again, the impacts might be a bit underwhelming. We will be lucky to reach G1 storm levels, if at all. Aurora photographers at higher latitudes might get a bit of a show (especially in the southern hemisphere), but aurora photographers at mid-latitudes need to be savvy in how to catch substorm brightenings if they plan to chase. In addition, amateur radio operators will hear noise increasing on the dayside radio bands, but luckily, the risk for radio blackouts will continue to remain low. This is due to several regions on the Sun’s farside that are rotating into Earth-view., but thus far their activity levels remain low. Learn the details of the storm hitting now and the fast solar wind to come, watch the gorgeous dual filament eruptions over the Sun’s west limb and find out what else our Sun has in store.

This week our Sun gets busy, especially with big flares, including an X1.27-flare from Region 4114. But despite the active cluster of regions crossing through the Earth strike zone now, there have not been any big Earth-directed solar storms launched. For the most part, the Sun is only firing wispy, narrow structures towards Earth, giving us only a bit of a bumpy ride. Although big flares may still occur, expect them to calm down over the next couple of days as Region 4114 runs out of steam, momentarily. Amateur radio operators should enjoy a brief respite from radio blackouts over the next few days, but there is a chance the active region cluster will get active again as it rotates through a hot longitude near the west limb. Region 4118, which is entering Earth’s view now, also looks like it could be a big flare player, but we will learn more as it rotates further onto the disk over the coming days. Learn the details of the cluster of active regions firing big flares, watch Region 4105 cross through a hot longitude and on the west limb and launch some big storms on the farside, and see what else our Sun has in store.

Our Sun settles down finally after the big G3+ storm series that passed over Earth at the beginning of the month. Although we are getting hit by a final storm in that series, this one is so wispy that Earth has hardy noticed. Things might intensify once we get an enhancement from some fast solar wind over the next couple of days so aurora photographers at high latitudes might get a bit of a show. Amateur radio and GPS users, however, should enjoy overall quieter conditions than last week with fewer radio blackouts on the dayside of Earth as well as less noise on the dayside radio bands. Learn the details of this wispy solar storm, see why the recent storm was more bark than bite, and find out what else our Sun has in store.

This Space Weather News forecast sponsored in part by Millersville University: https://www.millersville.edu/swen Our Sun remains a bit choosy this week, only allowing activity to pick up at a “hot longitude” just west of center disk. Region 4098 is the first to take the bait, grow rapidly over the past 48 hours and firing off some short-lived but large flares. The largest, an X1.1-flare gave us a brief R3-level radio blackout, but the radio noise from this region continues to be a problem on the dayside radio bands. Amateur radio operators should expect sporadic radio blackouts at the R2-level to continue, especially with the chance that other Regions like 4092, 4093, and old Region 4094 might become flare-active as they rotate over that same hot longitude later this week. Despite the flares, no solar storms are Earth-directed, but aurora photographers can look forward to the fast solar wind that will sweep past Earth starting around the 28th. This wind should be enough to bump us to minor storm levels at high latitudes and might even give us a little show at mid-latitudes. With us crossing through a new moon, we may not need strong aurora for a good show (at least in the southern hemisphere without the midnight Sun). Learn the details of the coming fast wind, watch the big solar flares develop, and see what else our Sun has in store this week.