A Big X-Flare, a Near X, & Three Earth-Directed Storms | Space Weather Spotlight 11 February 2024

Our Sun has gotten so busy over the past week that I have had to update this forecast three times before releasing it to the public! This week our Sun has fired no less than seven mid-to-high M-class flares along with an X-class flare and has launched at least three Earth-directed solar storms. This means aurora photographers have something to look forward to, especially near February 12- 14. Aurora photographers clear down to mid-latitudes have a good chance to catch some aurora views during a series of solar storms headed towards Earth. In addition, big solar flares and radio blackouts continue to impact the dayside of Earth. Amateur radio operators and GPS users should remain vigilant this week as the chance for big radio blackouts up to the R3-level is high. Aviators should also take heed since we have an S2-level radiation storm ongoing with a polar cap absorption event that could cause additional trouble for navigation and HF radio communications, especially over the poles. Learn the details of the coming solar storms, see why big radio blackouts remain on the menu, and find out what else our Sun has in store.