On Wednesday, October 23, 2025, a powerful flare occurred on the far side of the Sun, which, according to preliminary estimates, may be the largest in the 25th solar cycle. This was reported by the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the IKI RAS.
It is impossible to determine the exact data on the power of the event, but experts suggest a range of X10-X15. For comparison, the largest registered events of this cycle on the side facing the Earth reached levels of X9.0 (October 3, 2025), X8.7 (May 14, 2024) and X7.1 (October 1, 2024).
The difficulty of accurate assessment is due to the fact that the strength of the plasma ejection depends not only on the energy of the explosion, but also on the influence of the solar magnetic field. It can accelerate or slow down the movement of plasma. Direct observation of the flare site from Earth and nearby devices is impossible: Solar Orbiter, capable of providing accurate measurements, was at a different angle at the time of the event and did not observe the explosion area.
The closest analogue is the flare of July 23, 2024, which occurred on the far side of the Sun and was recorded by Solar Orbiter. Then the level of the event was estimated at X14. Yesterday's flare is visually very similar to last year's emission, which suggests a similar scale.
Despite increased solar activity, the geomagnetic situation on Earth remains calm. There is no direct threat to our planet. The forecast for the coming days maintains a calm magnetic field and increased flare activity without risk to technology and human health.
Events on the far side of the Sun, even if they are record-breaking in energy, are not officially included in the catalogs of solar flares and are not taken into account when predicting space weather for the Earth.
