Sunspot on the Farside
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 05/18/2026
HUGE FARSIDE SUNSPOT: One of the biggest sunspots in years is crossing the farside of the sun. Europe’s Solar Orbiter photographed the behemoth on May 17th:
The New Moon occurred on May 16, 2026, at 20:01 UTC (3:01 PM CT). The New Moon begins the Lunar cycle of the 2026 Blue Moon that occurs on May 31, 2026, at 08:45 GMT. It is called a Blue Moon because it is the second Full Moon in one calendar month.
The 2026 Blue Moon is also the year’s smallest Micromoon. A Micromoon occurs when a Full or New Moon happens near apogee, the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth in its orbit. From this greater distance, the Moon appears slightly smaller and dimmer than usual.
The last blue moon occurred on August 19, 2024, as both a Monthly Blue Moon and a Seasonal Blue Moon as the 4th Full Moon in the same Season. The next Blue Moon is also a Monthly and Seasonal Blue Moon, occurring on May 20, 2027.
Satellite Outgassing/Fuel Dump, Taken by Dan Bush, May 13, 2026 @ Albany, Missouri USA
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 05/14/2026
A ‘METHALOX COMET’ OVER THE USA: Last night, a glowing comet-like apparition swept across the skies of the central United States–but it wasn’t a comet. It was a Chinese rocket.
“We just had another satellite fuel dump event here in the Midwest,” reports Dan Bush of Albany, Missouri, who photographed the display:
Late spring Auroras, Taken by Jon Helge Edvardsen on May 5, 2026 @ Gjesdal, Rogaland, Southwest Norway
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 05/05/2026
SURPRISE GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A minor yet effective interplanetary shock wave hit Earth’s magnetic field on May 4th (1450 UTC), sparking G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storms and auroras. The source of the shock wave is uncertain, probably a stealthy CME that left the sun late last week. Minor G1-class storms are likely on May 5th as we transit the CME’s magnetized wake.
Boiling Sugar around AR4420, Taken by David Wilson on April 25, 2026 @ Inverness, Scotland
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/26/2026
A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SUNSPOT: Don’t be surprised if there’s another X-flare today. Active sunspot 4420 is directly facing Earth, and it is potentially dangerous. David Wilson photographed the behemoth from his backyard solar observatory in Inverness, Scotland.
X-CLASS FLARE, Taken by Michael Jaeger on April 24, 2026 @ AZM Martinsberg Austria
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/25/2026
X-CLASS SOLAR FLARES SHATTER THE QUIET (UPDATED): The sun has been quiet for weeks. That ended today with two powerful X-class solar flares. In quick succession, sunspot 4419 unleashed X2.4 (0107 UT) and X2.5 (0813 UT) explosions. Alerted by the first flare, Austrian astrophotographer Michael Jaeger caught the second:
Extreme Flash of a an X2.4-Class Solar Flare
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/24/2026
X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE SHATTERS THE QUIET: The sun has been quiet for weeks. That ended today (April 24th) with a powerful X2.4-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Auroras – Blue Auroral Corona, Taken by Geir T Birkeland Øye on April 21, 2026 @ Ørsta, Norway
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/22/2026
‘TIS THE SEASON FOR BLUE AURORAS: Blue auroras are very rare. Even veteran aurora chasers with years of Arctic experience have seldom seen them. Yet there is a time of year when they become easier to find–and that time is now.
“Last night, a blue aurora appeared overhead,” reports Geir T. Birkeland Øye of Ørsta, Norway, less than 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. “This is a sight we don’t often see.”
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/17/2026
STARLINK DECLARES WAR ON COMETS: Earlier this year, the number of Starlink satellites in Earth orbit surpassed 10,000. You can see the evidence in the sky:
Rocket induced noctilucent clouds, Taken by Christopher Nolker on April 14, 2026 @ Cocoa Beach, Florida
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 04/15/2026
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS AREN’T SUPPOSED TO APPEAR IN APRIL: The correct season for noctilucent clouds (NLCs) is summer, when sun-warmed plumes of water vapor rise to the edge of space and crystallize around disintegrated meteoroids. April is not the correct time. Yet just before sunrise on April 14th, Christopher Nolker looked up from Cocoa Beach, Florida, and saw them anyway:
