The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking on 4 February 2026.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.
Solar flares are massive eruptions of electromagnetic energy from the Sun that, upon reaching Earth in roughly eight minutes, can cause radio blackouts, disrupt GPS navigation, and stress power grids.
While they do not directly harm humans, intense flares (X-class) can threaten satellites and enhance northern/southern lights.
Key impacts on Earth can include radio blackouts, GPS and satellite disruption, power grid stress, auroras, and increased radiation.
Featured picture: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare — seen as the bright flash toward the upper middle — on 4 February 2026. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in blue and red. This flare is classified as an X4.2 flare
NASA/SDO