One of the strongest bursts of solar activity in the 21st century, observed since the beginning of February, has suddenly stopped. This is reported by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Active region 4366, capable of producing a series of powerful M and X-class flares, has ceased to produce them: on February 4–5, up to 11 explosions per day were recorded, and on February 6–7, the solar activity graph leveled out almost into a straight line.
Scientists were surprised by the "sterility" of the active center: several large flares, which could have caused strong magnetic storms on Earth, did not lead to the release of large clouds of plasma. The configuration of the region, according to observations, blocked the impact, neutralizing the potential consequences for the planet's magnetic field.
The Sun is now entering a period of relative stabilization, although its duration is difficult to predict. Active region 4366 remains in Earth's field of view for about five more days and retains a chance to break the record for the number of large flares this century if it produces at least two M1.0 flares.
Since the beginning of 2026, there have already been two extremely powerful bursts: the January burst caused the strongest radiation storm near Earth in the 21st century, and the February burst almost set a record for the number of large flares. Strong events continue on the far side of the Sun, but in a few days, only debris will most likely emerge towards Earth, and the active region opposite Earth may "quietly fade away."
