R3 (Strong) Flare Erupts from Region 3842 to Start October 2024

An X7.1 (R3 - Strong) solar flare erupted from NOAA/SWPC Active Region 3842 on October 1st, 2024. This was the second strongest flare thus far in Solar Cycle 25, only bested by an X8.7 flare on May 14th of this year. This latest flare was observed by the GOES-16 satellite X-ray sensor (XRS) and peaked at 6:20pm EDT (2220 UTC). The flare was impulsive in nature but was associated with some USAF solar radio observatory reports that may indicate a possible coronal mass ejection (CME) could be associated with the flare. SWPC forecasters will analyze available coronagraph imagery when it becomes available to confirm if a CME did occur and if so, determine the potential for any Earth-directed component. Continue to follow our SWPC webpage for the latest forecasts and information.