The Sun Unleashes Six November X-class Flares

  • Released Wednesday, November 19, 2025
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A blended composite image highlighting all six X-class flares from November 2025. The main image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. The inset images show a variety of 131 and blends of 131, 171, and 304 Angstrom light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image highlighting all six X-class flares from November 2025. The main image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. The inset images show a variety of 131 and blends of 131, 171, and 304 Angstrom light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

So far, November has already seen six X-class solar flares and the strongest geomagnetic storm of 2025.
All but one of these flares — the X1.1 flare on Nov. 4, shown here at the lower left — erupted from the same active region on the Sun: AR14274. This composite image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, helps us visualize how AR14274 has moved across the Sun during that time. This composite image is created by overlaying SDO’s images from each flare onto each other.
Solar flares, which are intense flashes of light, do not themselves cause geomagnetic storms — but they are often associated with coronal mass ejections, giant eruptions of solar particles, that do. The three back-to-back flares in the middle of this image, erupting on Nov. 9, 10, and 11, were accompanied by coronal mass ejections that triggered the intense geomagnetic storm of Nov. 11-13, which led to aurora sightings as far south as Florida.

A blended composite image highlighting all six X-class flares from November 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image highlighting all six X-class flares from November 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image of all six X-class flares from November 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image of all six X-class flares from November 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image of all six X-class flares from November 2025 with each subsequent individual flare masked out and added to the image of the first flare from November 4. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

A blended composite image of all six X-class flares from November 2025 with each subsequent individual flare masked out and added to the image of the first flare from November 4. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO/Scott Wiessinger

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper right — at 8:30 UTC on November 14, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 10:04 UTC on November 11, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 09:17 UTC on November 10, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171 and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 07:39 UTC on November 9, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 07:39 UTC on November 9, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 07:43 UTC on November 9, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption in the center — at 07:43 UTC on November 9, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the lower left — at 22:12 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the lower left — at 22:12 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the lower left — at 22:12 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the lower left — at 22:12 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows 131 Angstrom light, a subset of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171, 304, and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright eruption on the upper left — at 17:35 UTC on November 4, 2025. The image shows a blend of 171, 304, and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO

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This page was originally published on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 8:35 PM EST.