THE SUN OPENED — 400,000 MILES ACROSS
— Michael Bradbury (@MrMBB333) February 13, 2026
In 48 hours, this Earth-facing equatorial coronal hole expanded across both hemispheres of the Sun — now spanning nearly 400,000 miles.
This isn’t a surface scar. It’s a magnetic opening where high-speed solar wind escapes into space.
As… pic.twitter.com/3n9fKX1Na1
What is an Earth-facing Coronal Hole?
The “opening” also known as the coronal hole is simply a gap in the Sun’s magnetic field.
It's an area where the Sun’s magnetic field opens outward, allowing high-speed solar winds to escape into space.
Why is NASA and NOAA Weather Tracking this Phenomenon?
NASA, NOAA, and the European Space Agency tracks high-speed solar winds (400–800 km/s) that sometimes cause mild-moderate geomagnetic disturbances and disrupt radio and GPS transmissions. NASA post these images as part of their standard scientific reporting - similar to posts from the National Weather Service.
Comment: Unfortunately, few people are interested in space weather except during major disturbances. I found this post on X.com by Michael Bradbury, a space-weather hobbyist “SUN OPENED - 400,000 MILES ACROSS” on https://x.com/MrMBB333
Is there cause for alarm? No! The magnetic-effect can cause temporary radio interference and slight GPS drift. Therefore many satellite and aviation operators take precautions during times when higher than normal radiation levels are recorded in space (especially for astronauts).
What is Not Expected: Unlike the gloom and doom in popular apocalyptic movies - there will be no grid failure, internet collapse, cell service outages, or global disasters. This phenomenon is simply space-weather that NASA and NOAA reports all the time.
Current Official Space Weather Forecast (Current Version) - Monday, February 16, 2026 around 4:20 AM CST based on the latest NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) 3-day forecast data:
Date (UTC) Expected Kp Index
Feb 16 00–03 ~4.67 (G1; Minor)
Feb 16 03–06 ~4.33
Feb 16 06–09 ~4.00
Level Kp Severity Public Impact G1 5 Minor None G2 6 Moderate None G3 7 Strong Beautiful auroras G4 8 Severe Possible outages
| Level | Kp | Severity | Public Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | 5 | Minor | None |
| G2 | 6 | Moderate | None |
| G3 | 7 | Strong | Beautiful auroras |
| G4 | 8 | Severe | Possible outages |
NOAA Geomagnetic Forecast Summary (Feb 14 – Feb 16, 2026) - Click Here to read the entire forecast:
Expected geomagnetic activity (Kp index):
-
Feb 14: Mostly quiet to moderately active
-
Feb 15: Elevated activity with minor storm levels (G1) likely
-
Feb 16: Continued possibility of G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm conditions
- with peak 3-hour Kp values near the G1 threshold (~4.7) around earlier parts of the day (UTC) and then trending lower later.
https://marine.weather.gov/product.php?format=CI&glossary=0&issuedby=TDF&product=DAY&site=MHX&version=5
Explore the Sun like never before. Watch in Real-time HD images, automatically captured solar flares. Watch Live - https://solarflare.fr/live/
Solar Flare Rating
System (Earth-Facing)Ratings” for
Earth-facing refers to the official solar flare classification system
used by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
and NASA. Solar flares are rated by X-ray intensity:
- A-Class (Weakest level) - Barely detectable; and no impact on Earth.
- B-Class - (Slightly Above Background) - No impact on Earth.
- C-Class
(Common Flares) - Small flares; minor effects on Earth’s ionosphere. HF radio users may notice slight changes. They can be seen constantly during Solar Maximum.
- M-Class
(Moderate Flares) - Earth-impacting
class, they can cause radio blackouts at high latitudes, small geomagnetic effects, and proton flux increases. These are monitored closely from Earth-facing sunspots.
- X-Class (Major Flares) - Strongest
category, they can cause widespread HF radio blackouts, strong radiation storms, and major geomagnetic storms. Examples: X1 = strong X2, x3, x4 and X5 = powerful / X10+ = extreme
NOAA Space-Weather Forecast Tools - Watch space weather in real time, NOAA SWPC provides these live products:
Current Space Weather Conditions (R, S, G scale)
3-Day Geomagnetic Forecast
Aurora 30-minute Forecast
Solar Wind Data (ACE & DSCOVR)
Coronagraph and real-time solar imagery
https://spaceweather.gov/products
Learn more about NOAA SWPC Real-Time Solar Images & Forecasts - https://www.swpc.noaa.gov
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