GIANT SUNSPOT RETURNS: The biggest sunspot of 2025 is coming back. After a two week transit around the farside of the sun, sunspot 4079 is returning for another trip across the solar disk. Astronomers, point your safely-filtered optics here. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
OUT OF NOWHERE, AN X-FLARE (UPDATED): The forecast called for quiet. Instead, the sun produced an X1.1-class solar flare on May 25th (0152 UTC). X marks the spot in this extreme ultraviolet image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
The source of the explosion is new, fast-growing sunspot 4098. At the beginning of the weekend, this sunspot was almost invisibly small, but now it has a primary core larger than Earth with multiple Moon-sized cores trailing behind.
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a brief shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean. Ham radio operators may have noticed a loss of signal strength at all frequencies below 20 MHz around 0200 UTC.
Update: Sunspot 4098 has erupted again (May 25th @ 1631 UTC), producing an M8.9-class flare only percentage points below category X. The explosion produced a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas and, madybe, a CME. Confirmation of the CME awaits fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
THE REDSHIFT PENDANT: Give a gift that’s truly out of this world. The Redshift Pendant has journeyed to the edge of space, lifted 104,002 ft above our planet by an Earth to Sky cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $179.95. The premium Swarovski crystal has a deep ruby hue inspired by the expansion of the Universe--or "redshift" in the love language of astronomy. It is surrounded by a dozen glittering 5A cubic zirconia nuggets in a frame plated with hypoallergenic 18k rose gold. Also, it comes with a photo of the pendant in space for a truly unforgettable presentation.
The students are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Comet Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter