Large Sunspot Region Detected on Far Side of Sun

A large sunspot region on the far side of the sun was imaged by the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spacecraft on May 18. The spacecraft captured X-ray images showing the region, which has already produced solar flares. com. No additional flares have been recorded since those dates.

Sunspots are regions of intense magnetic fields that can generate solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Coronal mass ejections are clouds of charged particles that can interact with Earth's magnetic field and produce geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms can cause displays of the northern and southern lights.

The sunspot region is expected to face Earth starting around May 22 and may remain active during that period. The same sunspot region was also observed in images taken by NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars. The rover uses its Mastcam-Z camera to photograph the sun while measuring atmospheric dust levels.

The sun is moving past the peak of its roughly 11-year solar cycle. Scientists at NOAA and NASA estimate the solar maximum occurred in October 2024, though activity can continue in the tail of the peak. In June 2025 it captured the first clear images of the sun's south pole from an orbit below the solar equator.