National Solar Observatory

☀️ Ka Lā | The Sun, the Earth and Us 🌍 We’re proud to share a new @NSF documentary filmed on Haleakalā, Maui! Discover our timeless connection to the Sun and the groundbreaking science at the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope🎬: youtu.be/FKzly6fIGsM #NSFfunded #InouyeSolarTelescope

The NSF Inouye Solar Telescope is capturing the Sun's flickering "bright points" in unprecedented detail! ☀️🔭 High-res images and observations reveal these tiny, short-lived features are much smaller than previously thought. Read the study: bit.ly/4bCjMeY #NSFfunded

Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO. Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA with contributions by NOAA. #NSFfunded #SpaceWeather

At the time of preparing this report, an M2.7 flare was detected on Mar. 16 from AR 14394 (first image), which also launched a CME directed toward Earth . The CME is forecast to arrive on Mar. 19 and has the potential to generate auroral activity.

Solar Activity Report: Mar. 9-15, 2026 ☀️Activity ranged from low to moderate. Mar. 11 marked the quietest day, with the X‑ray flux remaining in the B‑class range and only minor C‑class flaring. 🧵

Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO. Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA with contributions by NOAA. #NSFfunded #SpaceWeather

Flaring activity was limited to isolated B‑ and C‑class events. The strongest flare for the reporting period was C6.1 on March 2. No Earth‑directed CMEs were observed in coronagraph imagery.

Solar Activity Report: Mar. 2-9, 2026 ☀️ Solar activity continued at low levels, marked by a reduced occurrence of C‑class flares relative to the previous week. 🧵👇

We had a blast at @CUBoulder Family STEAMfest last Saturday! ☀️ Over 100 people got to look through our solar telescopes to see sunspots and prominences in action. Huge thanks to the incredible team who helped share the science of the Sun! 🔭 Details: colorado.edu/sciencediscove…

The Sun’s outer atmosphere is filled with waves that are hard to detect, but we’re catching them in action 🌊 Data from the @NSF Inouye Solar Telescope reveal rapid ripples in the corona that may help explain how it stays so hot and powers solar wind: bit.ly/4aTsJkN

No Earth-directed CMEs were observed during the reporting period. Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO. Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA with contributions by NOAA. #NSFfunded #SpaceWeather @NSF @NOAA @AURADC

As anticipated in last week’s report, Region 14366, the source of several X‑ and M‑class flares in early Feb., returned to the Earth‑facing side and was renumbered 14378. It is the largest active region on the disk, but hasn't contributed to significant flaring activity so far.

Solar Activity Report: Feb. 23-Mar. 1, 2026☀️The week began at very low levels with a spotless solar disk. Conditions changed on Feb. 24, when new front‑side active regions rotated into view. The X‑ray flux elevated from B‑ to C‑level, where it remained for the rest of the week.

The paper describing this study, titled “Measurements of the Perpendicular Correlation Length of Coronal Alfvénic Waves with DKIST,” is available in The Astrophysical Journal: bit.ly/4qV4g39

By revealing details that older telescopes simply couldn’t see, the Inouye is helping us better understand how energy flows through the solar atmosphere—an important step toward solving the long-standing mystery of why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is so hot.

New discoveries about how energy moves through the Sun’s atmosphere are coming from the U.S. @NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, built and managed by the NSF National Solar Observatory! 🧵