On January 4, 2025, NOAA’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) captured a powerful X1.8 solar flare at 7:48 a.m. ET, presenting a significant threat to Earth’s communication, navigation systems, and power grids, as well as to astronauts in orbit. Such flares represent sudden bursts of energy from the Sun, occurring when magnetic energy in its atmosphere is released, emitting radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Solar flares are categorized into five classes (A, B, C, M, and X), with X-class being the most intense and further defined by numerical values indicating their magnitude. SUVI, housed on the NOAA GOES-East satellite, specializes in observing the Sun in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum and provides crucial data about solar events like flares and coronal mass ejections. This information assists scientists at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in forecasting potential disruptions to technology and infrastructure caused by solar activity. While NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory data was unavailable due to flooding, SUVI’s observations are vital for predicting and mitigating the impacts of space weather. By continuously monitoring solar phenomena, SUVI plays an essential role in safeguarding technological systems on Earth.
