A strong flare was recorded on the left edge of the Sun.

Around 5:00 AM UTC, a rather powerful solar flare was unexpectedly detected. The peak emission occurred at 4:35 AM UTC. The measured magnitude was M2.4. The star had been showing exceptionally low activity for the past couple of days—the flare graph had been drawing a nearly straight line all weekend—and this event appears to be quite at odds with the overall solar situation. Furthermore, the source of the explosion is located on the far side of the Sun (apparently just below the horizon), and it is currently impossible to determine the nature of the sunspot group there. This region of the Sun had previously shown no activity, and until now, it was thought to be completely empty.

The event could be either a one-off event (a small spot accumulating energy for a week and producing a single event) or a sign of the formation of a new, large sunspot group, which is currently being formed behind the eastern edge of the star. The intrigue will not last long. If we are talking about the birth of a new active region, then the flare cannot be a one-off event, and a series of events should begin within 24 hours. Moreover, the background level on the flare graph should rise rapidly in this case. If this is a single event, it will remain without any consequences. In any case, tomorrow this part of the Sun will emerge above the horizon, and the sunspots that produced the explosion will be visible.

The event poses no danger to Earth. The flare was accompanied by a plasma ejection that is moving sideways. Within a few hours, the plasma cloud will become visible in images coming from coronagraphs.