Live Data
Solar Activity Today
Live Solar Flare Status
Live solar flare class and geomagnetic response from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, updated hourly — explained calmly, without the doom.
Is there a solar storm today?
No — no significant solar storm today
Solar X-ray activity is at class A1.0 levels and the Kp index is 1, below NOAA's storm threshold of Kp 5. This is a normal day in Earth's electromagnetic environment.
The Activity Index above includes today's solar flare activity (5% weight) alongside Schumann Resonance (70%) and the Kp index (25%).
Understanding the Data
What Do Solar Flare Classes Mean?
Solar flares are sudden releases of magnetic energy above sunspot groups, classified by their peak X-ray brightness as measured by NOAA's GOES satellites. The scale runs A, B, C, M, X — each letter ten times stronger than the last, with a number for fine grading (an X2 is twice an X1).
A- and B-class flares are background noise. C-class flares are common and have little effect on Earth. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts near the poles. X-class flares are the strongest, capable of planet-wide radio blackouts and — when paired with a coronal mass ejection — significant geomagnetic storms.
NOAA translates flare impacts into its R-scale (R1–R5) for radio blackouts, which is how official alerts are issued. Most days near solar maximum see C-class activity; X-class days are newsworthy but not dangerous to people on the ground.
Quiet Sun. No effect on Earth.
Frequent near solar maximum. Minimal Earth impact.
Brief polar radio blackouts. Possible minor storm if CME follows.
Wide-area radio blackouts. Geomagnetic storm likely if Earth-directed CME.
Rare. Planet-wide blackout risk; infrastructure-level event, not a human-safety event.
Solar Cycle 25
Are We in Solar Maximum? (2026)
Yes — or just past it. According to NOAA and NASA assessments, Solar Cycle 25 reached its maximum phase around late 2024 to 2025, running stronger than the original forecasts. Through 2026, sunspot counts and flare activity remain elevated, which is why "solar flares today" is a daily question rather than an occasional one.
Counterintuitively, the years just after maximum often produce some of a cycle's strongest geomagnetic storms: coronal holes and fast solar wind streams become more common in the declining phase. Expect elevated activity — and good aurora seasons — through at least 2027.
What this is not: a threat. Solar cycles have repeated every ~11 years for as long as we have measured them. Solar maximum means more days worth checking the data — not danger.
Cycle began
December 2019 (solar minimum)
Maximum phase
Late 2024 – 2025 per NOAA/NASA; activity still elevated in 2026
Strength
Above original forecasts — more M/X flares than predicted
Declining phase
Often delivers the strongest geomagnetic storms of a cycle
Next minimum
Expected around 2030–2031
Content last reviewed:
Know the Difference
Solar Flare vs. CME vs. Geomagnetic Storm
News coverage blurs these together. They are three different events on three different timelines.
Solar Flare
Reaches Earth in ~8 minutes
A flash of electromagnetic radiation from magnetic reconnection above sunspots. Can cause short radio blackouts on Earth's dayside. Measured in classes A–X. The flare itself never reaches the ground — the atmosphere absorbs it.
Coronal Mass Ejection
Arrives in 1–3 days (if Earth-directed)
A billion-ton cloud of magnetized plasma launched from the Sun's corona. Often accompanies strong flares, but either can occur alone. Only Earth-directed CMEs matter for us — most miss entirely.
Geomagnetic Storm
Lasts 1–3 days after CME arrival
What happens when a CME or fast solar wind stream disturbs Earth's magnetosphere. Measured by the Kp index (storm = Kp 5+, scales G1–G5). This is the phase associated with auroras — and with the physiological correlations research tracks.
The chain in one line: flare (minutes) → CME in transit (days) → geomagnetic storm (Kp rises) → aurora + possible wellbeing correlations. ResonanceOne's Activity Index tracks all three signals — Schumann Resonance 70%, Kp 25%, solar 5%.
Research & Wellbeing
Do Solar Flares Affect Humans?
Not directly — flare radiation never reaches the ground. The honest story is about what follows. These are correlational findings from peer-reviewed literature, not medical claims.
The Direct Effects: None at Ground Level
Earth's atmosphere absorbs flare X-rays and UV entirely. During even the strongest flares, radiation at the surface does not change measurably. Documented direct impacts are technological: HF radio blackouts, satellite drag, and GPS signal degradation.
The Indirect Path: Geomagnetic Storms
When a flare-associated CME strikes Earth's magnetic field 1–3 days later, the resulting geomagnetic storm is what research links — modestly and correlationally — to human physiology: reduced heart rate variability, melatonin suppression, and sleep disruption in some populations.
What Studies Report
A 2018 Scientific Reports study found HRV changes tracking geomagnetic conditions over years of monitoring. Burch et al. (2000) found reduced nocturnal melatonin metabolites during elevated geomagnetic activity. A 2025 Nature Scientific Reports study associated elevated Kp with blood pressure changes.
What This Means for You
Probably nothing on most days — most people notice no effect even during strong storms. If you suspect you are sensitive, the useful move is not worry but data: log how you feel alongside real activity readings for a few months and see whether a personal pattern exists.
Can a solar flare destroy Earth? No. Even the 1859 Carrington Event — the strongest recorded — harmed no one on the ground. Extreme events are an infrastructure problem (grids, satellites, GPS), not a survival threat. Correlation does not imply causation; ResonanceOne does not make medical claims.
Methodology
How Solar Data Fits Into the Activity Index
Schumann Resonance
Real-time frequency and amplitude data from Tomsk Observatory — the primary signal driving the Activity Index.
Kp Index
NOAA's planetary geomagnetic index updated every 3 hours — this is where solar storms actually register for Earth.
Solar Activity
Solar flare classification and X-ray flux from NOAA's GOES satellites — the early-warning component of the index.
Solar flares carry a small direct weight (5%) because their Earth impact arrives indirectly — through the Kp index rising 1–3 days later, which carries 25%. Data sources: NOAA SWPC (solar), GFZ Potsdam (Kp), Tomsk Observatory (Schumann). Updated hourly.
Common Questions
Solar Activity FAQ
Is there a solar storm today?
Check the live status block at the top of this page — it shows the current solar flare class and geomagnetic (Kp) response, updated hourly from NOAA data. Most days the answer is no: significant Earth-affecting solar storms happen on a minority of days, even near solar maximum.
What causes a solar flare?
Sudden releases of magnetic energy stored above sunspot groups, where twisted magnetic field lines snap and reconnect. The reconnection accelerates particles and releases a burst of radiation classified from A (weakest) through B, C, M, and X (strongest) by X-ray brightness.
What is the difference between a solar flare and a CME?
A flare is a flash of radiation arriving in ~8 minutes that can briefly disrupt radio. A coronal mass ejection is a plasma cloud taking 1–3 days to arrive — it is what actually causes geomagnetic storms and auroras. They often occur together, but either can happen without the other.
How long does a solar storm last?
The flare lasts minutes to hours. If a CME strikes Earth, the resulting geomagnetic storm typically lasts 1–3 days: a 6–12 hour main phase when Kp peaks, then a recovery phase of a day or more.
Can a solar flare destroy Earth?
No. Even the largest recorded events, like the 1859 Carrington Event, did not harm people on the ground — the atmosphere and magnetosphere absorb the radiation. The realistic worst case is technological: grid damage, satellite disruption, and GPS degradation.
Do solar flares affect humans?
Not directly — flare radiation never reaches the ground. Indirectly, the geomagnetic storms that follow have been correlated with reduced HRV, melatonin suppression, and sleep disruption in some populations. These are modest, correlational findings; most people notice nothing.
Are we in solar maximum in 2026?
Yes — or just past it. Solar Cycle 25 peaked around late 2024–2025 per NOAA and NASA, and activity remains elevated through 2026. The declining phase often produces some of a cycle's strongest geomagnetic storms.
Get an alert when solar activity rises
without watching the data all day
ResonanceOne sends free push alerts for solar flares, Kp storms, Schumann Resonance activity, and the combined Activity Index — and lets you log your mood to find your own patterns.
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