Superflaring region AR14366: observing opportunities

ATel #17644; Costantino Sigismondi (ICRANet Pescara and APRA-ISF Rome, Italy), Adam J. Finley (ESA-ESTEC, The Netherlands), Virginio Oldani (Stazione Astronomica di Sozzago, IT), Paolo Ochner (UniPD and INAF-OAPd, IT).
on 3 Feb 2026; 18:42 UT
Credential Certification: Costantino Sigismondi (sigismondi@icra.it)

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There is the opportunity to observe the superflaring region AR14366, active on the Earthside solar surface, spread around the Carrington Longitude (C.L.) 197 degrees at Northern solar latitude 14 deg., with sunspots nested around more than 20 degrees as on 3 February 2026 UT day. This region will be visible from the Earth, until 9 February 2026. AR 14366 is a rapidly growing region already larger than 1200 MH, with strong magnetic activity, capable of dozens of M and some X-class flares in the first two days of February 2026. It exhibits also a rythmic flaring activity with main frequency around 7 hours. It will enter indeed in the scientific literature in the next years. AR 14366 can be considered, in the asymmetric hemispheric activity, as the Northern response to the 2024 solar activity maximum, dominated by Southern hemisphere's groups. For reference, the AR 14274 on 11 November 2025 was spread 20 degrees around the C. L. 269 deg., always on the Northern solar hemisphere at 24 deg. North, while the AR 13664 and 13697 were spread 20 degrees around the C. L. 340 deg. at 19 deg. South of the solar equator. There is lack of previous activity in the 197 deg. C.L. region, where AR 14366 is appeared. The organization -best within 10 February- of solar observations with H-alpha and white light telescopes could attract, for the opportunity to see in person these phenomena, potential future solar astronomers to this discipline. It is reliable to expect a persistence of this giant sunspots' group also for the next solar rotation in March 2026, as it was for the aforementioned groups in May-June 2024 and November-December 2025. Both the high rate of powerful flares and the high level of X-rays background (several hours beyond M-level), have to be considered rare out of these days.

Super flaring region AR 14366