NASA Tracks 19-Day Solar Radio Burst, Shattering Previous 5-Day Record
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · May 25
NASA Tracks 19-Day Solar Radio Burst, Shattering Previous 5-Day Record
5 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · May 25
A Type IV solar radio burst detected in August 2025 lasted 19 days, far beyond the few hours or days typical for such events and well past the previous 5-day record.
Three coronal mass ejections from the same solar region likely kept the signal alive, with energetic electrons trapped in a large magnetic structure called a helmet streamer.
STEREO, Parker Solar Probe, Wind and Solar Orbiter followed the burst as the Sun rotated, letting researchers stitch together the full event and pinpoint its source.
The radio waves themselves were not dangerous to Earth, but the magnetic conditions behind them can accompany eruptions that disrupt satellites, spacecraft and other space-based systems.
The findings, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, could improve detection of long-duration solar bursts and sharpen space-weather forecasting.
What new solar mysteries did the record 19-day radio burst of 2025 unveil about our unpredictable star?
After a record 19-day solar burst, is our global infrastructure truly prepared for the next inevitable 'big one'?
Record-Breaking 19-Day Solar Radio Burst in 2025: Causes, Consequences, and Advances in Space Weather Science
Overview
From August 21 to September 9, 2025, scientists observed a record-breaking 19-day solar radio burst, classified as a Type IV event. This rare phenomenon began when a reservoir of electrons became trapped within the Sun’s magnetic field, producing strong radio waves. The Sun, made mostly of plasma with protons and electrons, has outer regions where charged particles are shaped by complex magnetic fields and electric currents. An international research team studied this event in detail, using new techniques to trace its origin and gaining valuable insights into solar activity and space weather forecasting.