Old sunspot region 3664 returns with an M9.3 solar flare!

Old sunspot region 3664 has made a remarkable return to the Earth-facing solar disk, along with the more recent appearance of region 3697. This marks the third visit of these sunspot regions, with region 3664 now assigned the sunspot number 3723. Its re-emergence was stunningly announced by an impulsive and non-eruptive M9.3 (R2-moderate) solar flare, reaching its peak at 13:01 UTC. As anticipated, the region has significantly decayed, but it still shows promising indications of potential major eruptions, leaving room for excitement among solar observers. This was reported by SSPDaily.

Notably, sunspot region 3723 is indeed the same region known as sunspot region 3664, which initially gained attention in May for its prolific production of numerous M and X-class solar flares. This activity included multiple earth-directed coronal mass ejections, leading to an intense G5 geomagnetic storm. The resulting geomagnetic conditions were the most heightened since November 2003, leading to awe-inspiring aurora displays witnessed as far south as Spain and even Texas in the USA.

Apologies for the recent correction: It has been identified that sunspot region 3723 is not the original sunspot region 3664 mentioned. Instead, old sunspot region 3664 is currently situated just behind sunspot region 3723 and is expected to become visible on the limb within the next 24 hours.