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The Sun, during its solar maximum phase in 2024, emitted over 50 X-class solar flares—the most powerful category of solar flares. These intense bursts of energy, capable of disrupting satellites and communications on Earth, marked a highly active year for solar phenomena. According to reports, these flares varied in magnitude and impact, with the strongest measured at X9.0 on October 3. Below is a countdown of the ten most notable solar flares recorded this year.

February 9 – X3.38

A solar flare rated X3.38 was observed near the southwestern edge of the Sun. According to researchers, the full intensity might have been obscured due to its position. The flare showcased a “coronal wave,” with solar material visibly displaced across the Sun’s surface.

February 22 – X6.37

This flare, while registering an impressive X6.37, lacked Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and had limited effects beyond its intense X-ray emissions. Data from NASA highlighted its scientific importance despite its minimal impact.

May 6 – X4.52

An eruption from Active Region AR 13663 in the northern hemisphere occurred early in May. This flare, documented by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, did not produce Earth-directed CMEs, though it highlighted the active state of the Sun during this period.

May 10 – X3.98

From Active Region AR 13664, this solar flare produced a strong Earth-directed CME. Reports indicated it was part of a series of events that caused a G5 geomagnetic storm, leading to widespread auroras visible at unusually low latitudes.

May 11 – X5.89

Another eruption from AR 13664 occurred just a day later. This flare, part of a chain of CMEs, contributed to the extreme geomagnetic activity documented during this period. Its position on the solar limb reduced its direct impact on Earth.

May 14 – X8.79

A confined flare from AR 13664 produced strong X-ray emissions without a major eruption. Despite its physical size, its intensity ranked among the highest of the year, as confirmed by ESA and NASA observations.

May 15 – X3.48

The final X-class flare from AR 13664 during its rotation was recorded on May 15. Observations revealed that its intensity was partly obscured as the active region moved out of Earth’s view. ESA reports noted continued activity from this region even when it was no longer visible from Earth.

September 14 – X4.54

A strong CME directed over the Sun’s eastern limb accompanied this flare. Observers noted pixel saturation in images, a common occurrence in high-energy flares of this magnitude.

October 1 – X7.10

This flare originated from Active Region AR 13842. Despite its size, it did not produce significant geomagnetic storms. Experts observed that smaller flares from this active region later contributed to strong auroras seen worldwide.

October 3 – X9.0

The largest solar flare of 2024, and one of the strongest in recent years, was recorded at X9.0. As per data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, it unleashed energy nine times the X-class threshold, cementing its place as a standout event of Solar Cycle 25.

The Sun’s activity continues to be closely monitored as solar maximum extends into 2025.

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Webb Telescope Uncovers Hidden Active Galactic Nuclei

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May 31, 2025

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Webb Telescope Uncovers Hidden Active Galactic Nuclei

An obscured population of huge and massive black holes has been revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope. This discovery could bridge the gap between quasars and the Little Red Dots. These are active galactic nuclei galaxies (AGNs), overlapped or blurred by active blackholes, occupied by dust. Their bright nature makes them detectable in spite of the dust surrounding them. However, during December 2022, astronomers found a new type of AGN that they called Little Red Dots, because they appear as tiny, fat red spots.

Connection of AGN with Quasars is Still a Mystery

For more than a decade, the study has been led by Dale Kocevski, an astronomer at Colby College. Their team includes scientists like Jorryt Matthee, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Science and Technology, who contributed to the understanding of little dots and their connection with quasars. Their connection is still a mystery that prompts them to find the objects with properties in between.

The Old Universe Abundantly Occupied by Hidden Quasars

In a new study Yoshiki Matsuoka, associate professor at the Research Center for Space, told Live Science, the scientists are surprised to find that the not-so-clear quasars had occupied a large portion of the early universe. Out of 13 galaxies, 9 were found to have clear signs of active supermassive blackholes in connection with the heavy dust that hides them.

Findings Can Give Insights into the Study of Universe Evolution

Jorryt Matthee, the head of the old research, said that although there are abundant new objects found in the universe, the gap between the two known populations found by JWST is too high, and thus, there is a possibility that these belong to that missing population lying in between the known ones, providing fresh insights into how these giants formed and evolved in the early universe. The findings were reported on May 7, 2025, in the preprint database arXiv.

Future Study Scopes to Unveil the Nature of LRD

The team is planning to observe 30 more objects from the sample of the Subaru Telescope. This can reveal that the behaviour of the hidden quasars aligns with Little Red Dots. Furthermore, the gases that surround them can reveal the mysterious nature of LRD.

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SpaceX Starship Flight 9 Reuses Booster, Gathers Key Data Despite Loss

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May 31, 2025

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SpaceX Starship Flight 9 Reuses Booster, Gathers Key Data Despite Loss

SpaceX launched its ninth Starship test flight on May 27 that featured the first-ever significant reuse of Starship hardware. As planned on Flight 9, Starship’s two stages separated successfully, and the upper stage even reached space. However, both were ultimately lost before completing their objectives. Despite these setbacks, the mission yielded valuable data which inspires SpaceX’s iterative approach to innovation as it aims to create a fully reusable launch system for space missions. This test flight exhibited successful reuse of a Super Heavy booster and aimed to demonstrate improved hardware performance.

Previous test flights

According to official site of SpaceX, Starship’s two stages are one giant booster called Super Heavy and a 171-foot-tall (52 meters) upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or simply “Ship.” Both are powered by SpaceX’s new Raptor engine — 33 of them for Super Heavy and six for Ship.

On Flight 7 and Flight 8 the Super Heavy performed flawlessly, acing its engine burn and then returning to Starbase for a catch by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms. But Ship had problems: It exploded less than 10 minutes after launch on both missions, raining debris down on the Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas, respectively.

Advancements in flight 9

In flight 9, SpaceX reused a Super Heavy booster for the first time, swapping out just four of its 33 Raptor engines after its initial flight in January. The booster also conducted a new atmospheric entry experiment, entering at a higher angle to collect data on aerodynamic control. Meanwhile, Ship (the upper stage) was tasked with deploying eight dummy Starlink satellites.

Despite the promising advances, Flight 9 encountered several failures. Super Heavy broke apart roughly six minutes after launch during its return burn, and Ship lost control due to a fuel tank leak. The upper stage began tumbling, which prevented a planned in-space engine relight and led to a destructive reentry over the Indian Ocean. Still, SpaceX gained critical data, particularly on tile performance and active cooling systems.

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7,100-Year-Old Skeleton Reveals Unknown Human Lineage in China

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May 31, 2025

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7,100-Year-Old Skeleton Reveals Unknown Human Lineage in China

A new study on a 7,100-year-old skeleton from China has revealed a “ghost” lineage that only existed in theories until now. Skeleton of the early Neolithic woman, known as Xingyi_EN, unearthed at the Xingyi archaeological site in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. Her DNA links her to a deeply divergent human population that may have contributed to the ancestry of modern Tibetans. This study also reveals a distinct Central Yunnan ancestry connected to early Austroasiatic-speaking groups. This discovery makes Yunnan as a key region to understand the ancient genetic history of East and Southeast Asia. The detailed analysis of 127 human genomes from southwestern China is published in a study in the journal Science.

According to the study, radiocarbon dating indicates Xingyi_EN lived around 7,100 years ago and isotope analysis suggests she lived as a hunter-gatherer. Genetic sequencing revealed her ancestry from a deeply diverged human lineage—now named the Basal Asian Xingyi lineage. This lineage diverged from other modern human groups over 40,000 years ago and remained isolated for thousands of years without mixing with other populations.

This “ghost” lineage does not match DNA from Neanderthals or Denisovans but appears to have later contributed to the ancestry of some modern Tibetans. Xingyi_EN represents the first physical evidence of this previously unknown population.

Yunnan’s significance as a reservoir of deep human diversity

Most of the skeletons that the researchers sampled were dated between 1,400 and 7,150 years ago and came from Yunnan province, which today has the highest ethnic and linguistic diversity in all of China.

“Ancient humans that lived in this region may be key to addressing several remaining questions on the prehistoric populations of East and Southeast Asia,” the researchers wrote in the study. Those unanswered questions include the origins of people who live on the Tibetan Plateau, as previous studies have shown that Tibetans have northern East Asian ancestry.

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