Solar Cycle 25 Revised Prediction

Solar Maximum Expected between January and October 2024

NOAA's GOES-16 Satellite Captures Sun's Eruption

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has revised its prediction for the peak of Solar Cycle 25, now placing it between January and October 2024. This updated prediction aligns with recent observations of sunspot activity and data from the GOES-16 satellite, which captured an eruption from the sun on May 9, 2024.

The data gap caused by the Earth passing between the GOES-16 satellite and the sun hindered real-time tracking of the eruption's progress. However, NOAA scientists have since analyzed the data and determined that the eruption sent a coronal mass ejection (CME) towards our planet. The CME reached Earth at 10:37 AM, triggering minor geomagnetic disturbances.

According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, this latest solar event was classified as a G4-level solar storm, one level below the most extreme category. It was the last of only three G4-level storms observed since 2019.