One of the most intense periods of solar activity in 2026 has concluded – over two weeks, scientists recorded approximately 140 flares, including two X-class events. This was caused by two large groups of sunspots, one of which was the largest this year and one of the biggest in the last decade.
Data on the end of the activity surge was provided by specialists from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of IKI RAS and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics SB RAS. According to their assessment, active regions No. 4478 and No. 4479, which formed on the star's surface at the end of June, played the main role.
Region No. 4478 became the primary source of activity and was notable for its scale. It was the largest sunspot region in 2026 and ranked second in size among similar objects over the past ten years.
Despite the large number of flares, the situation developed relatively calmly. Throughout the entire period, scientists registered only two X-class flares, which are considered the most powerful in terms of energy release. Additionally, on July 4, a geomagnetic storm occurred, becoming the second strongest this year.
Both active regions have now moved to the far side of the Sun and no longer directly affect Earth. They may reappear in the visible zone around July 20–21 after completing another rotation of the star, but specialists consider this scenario unlikely.
Before disappearing behind the edge of the solar disk, both sunspot groups began to rapidly disintegrate. Therefore, if they reappear, their influence is likely to be significantly weaker.