[REGNUM.RU] The largest sunspot group in five months has emerged on its Earth-facing side. This was reported on June 26 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
They noted that active region 4478 appeared in Earth's field of view three days ago. It continues to grow rapidly and has already reached an area of ​​825 m.s.p. (a unit of measurement of sunspot area). This makes it the second-largest active region in 2026.
"According to calculations, the region will reach the center of the solar disk (that is, a position directly opposite the Earth) on July 1," the institute reported on its Telegram channel.
Great! My AMEX bill is due July 2.
Scientists noted that the region exhibits moderate activity. Over the past three days, there have been only 11 category C flares. However, the active center is classified as hazardous due to its constant plasma emissions. These have not yet reached Earth due to the region's significant edgeward shift.
On June 5, a plasma cloud from solar flares reached Earth. According to the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a second and third cloud later reached Earth. They caused a moderate-intensity magnetic storm that ended on the night of June 6.
Earlier, Sergei Bogachev, head of the Solar Astronomy Laboratory, noted that solar activity would continue to decline, with numerous magnetic storms expected for at least the next two years. By 2028–2031, they should cease altogether.