[REGNUM.RU] The largest sunspot group of 2026 has formed on the Sun. This was reported on June 28 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.
The sunspot group has been designated 4478. Its area is 1190 m.s.p. (a unit of measurement for sunspot area). However, there is no actual activity in the area yet.
The sunspot group occasionally ejects weak plasma clouds into space. There have been no major explosions so far, the institute reported on its Telegram channel.
Earlier, the largest sunspot cluster in five months emerged on the Earth-facing side. Scientists noted that the region exhibited moderate activity. Over the past three days, there were only 11 Category C flares. However, the active center is classified as hazardous due to its constant plasma emissions.
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.