New Delhi, Feb. 4 -- Over the last 24 hours, the Sun has produced an intense burst of activity, firing at least 18 M-class solar flares along with three powerful X-class flares. The most significant of these was an X8.3 flare, making it the strongest solar eruption recorded so far in 2026.

Solar flares are sudden releases of energy from the Sun's surface. Scientists categorise them based on strength, beginning with A, B and C, followed by M and finally X. Each category represents a tenfold increase in energy. X-class flares sit at the top of this scale, and an X8.3 flare ranks among the most extreme events of this kind, according to NASA.

The heightened activity has been traced to a rapidly expanding sunspot, known as region 4366. Over ...