An X5.1-class solar flare, the strongest of 2025, erupted from sunspot AR4274 on November 11th, causing strong radio blackouts over Africa and Europe. This eruption follows a series of intense flares from the same sunspot, including X1.7 and X1.2 flares in previous days. A coronal mass ejection (CME) from the recent flare is expected to reach Earth on November 12th, potentially causing severe geomagnetic storm conditions, with the possibility of triggering widespread auroras.
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Northern lights may be visible in eighteen US states tonight, which is pretty exciting, and the news has got me thinking. We’re talking about a potential celestial show for folks in states like Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, South Dakota, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Idaho, Alaska, Oregon, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. That’s a pretty impressive list, a wide swath across the country! The excitement is palpable, even though, as someone pointed out, the aurora map they checked earlier seemed to shrink back a bit, making it a bit of a tease.
The whole thing is apparently due to a “symmetric full-halo Coronal Mass Ejection,” a fancy way of saying the sun is throwing a tantrum and ejecting a bunch of solar material and magnetic fields our way, according to NOAA.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood