{"id":800464,"date":"2026-02-02T05:26:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T10:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=800464"},"modified":"2026-02-02T05:26:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T10:26:28","slug":"major-x8-1-solar-flare-erupts-from-ar-4366-following-explosive-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=800464","title":{"rendered":"Major X8.1 solar flare erupts from AR 4366 following explosive growth"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Solar activity reached very high levels over the past 36 hours as Region 4366 produced an extensive sequence of strong flares culminating in an X8.1-class eruption at 23:57 UTC on February 1, one of the strongest of Solar Cycle 25 to date.<\/p>\n

GOES-18 X-ray flux (1\u20138 \u00c5 channel) recorded continuous elevated emission as the region underwent rapid magnetic expansion on February 1, developing a \u2018beta-gamma-delta\u2019 configuration and increasing in area to more than 500 microhemispheres.<\/p>\n

Throughout February 1, GOES-18 data registered 17 M-class and two X-class flares from the same region. Notable events included M6.6 at 10:02 UTC, M6.7 at 12:12 UTC, X1.0 at 12:33 UTC, M5.8 at 12:50 UTC, M5.1 at 16:05 UTC, and the X8.1 flare at 23:57 UTC.<\/p>\n

After midnight on February 2, the region produced an X2.8 flare at 00:36 UTC, followed by six M-class events (M4.4, M5.2, M1.9, M3.0, M1.6, M2.3) in just 5 hours. An additional X1.6-class flare was recorded at 08:14 UTC on February 2, confirming continued high-level instability within the region.<\/p>\n

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Image credit: SWPC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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