The sun just unleashed a monster—and Earth might be in its direct path.
A colossal solar flare erupted this morning from sunspot AR3664, shooting out a coronal mass ejection (CME) spanning over 600,000 miles wide—twice the distance from the Earth to the moon. And now, scientists are warning that the resulting geomagnetic storm could strike Earth as early as tomorrow.
“This could be the biggest hit in over two decades,” said Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, in a video posted to X. “We are bracing for extreme G4 to G5-level activity.”
That classification puts the storm at the highest end of NOAA’s geomagnetic storm scale—a level capable of disrupting satellite communications, GPS signals, power grids, and even commercial flights.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center issued an alert Friday afternoon, warning that “strong geomagnetic conditions are expected within 24 hours,” with “potential widespread impacts.”
Auroras, normally confined to high latitudes, could be visible as far south as Texas, Germany, or Northern Japan—depending on the storm’s angle of arrival. NASA also confirmed the event with updated satellite imagery showing the CME expanding rapidly toward Earth.
But it’s not just the light show that has scientists on edge.
According to Dr. Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, a CME of this magnitude could severely interfere with aviation communications, spacecraft operations, and ground-based power systems.
“High-frequency radio will likely be blacked out in some regions,” he warned. “Pilots flying over polar routes may be forced to divert.”
Airlines including Delta and Lufthansa have already confirmed they are monitoring the situation closely and may reroute or delay flights depending on real-time activity.
One of the biggest concerns is power grid overload.
In 1989, a less intense solar storm knocked out Quebec’s power grid for nine hours. Experts worry that today’s far more interconnected infrastructure could suffer cascading effects.
“This is a wake-up call,” tweeted Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellites are especially vulnerable to high radiation. “Our space tech isn’t as invincible as we think.”
SpaceX engineers are currently placing Starlink satellites into protective “safe mode” to shield them from incoming radiation spikes.
Scientists say the eruption is part of an intense solar maximum cycle, which peaks every 11 years. The sun has already produced multiple M- and X-class flares this month, but this one dwarfs them all.
“This is solar warfare,” said Dr. Emily Baird of the European Space Agency during a live briefing. “And we’re not sure yet what’s coming next.”
The eruption was first captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, and video clips of the event have gone viral, showing the fiery blast surging out from the solar surface in a full halo—indicating a direct hit is likely.
Even the Pentagon is paying attention.
U.S. Northern Command confirmed they are “assessing potential impacts on military operations and communication protocols.”
Back on Earth, astronomers and space weather geeks are glued to magnetometers and real-time solar wind trackers. Websites like SpaceWeatherLive have seen traffic surge as people look up aurora predictions, satellite flight paths, and power outage forecasts.
Meanwhile, the general public is left with a mix of awe and anxiety.
A top post from Reddit’s r/space reads: “The sun just coughed and we might lose WiFi. Wild.”
If the storm does arrive as expected, the first effects will be felt near the Arctic Circle by early morning GMT. But the real test will come when the high-energy particles reach lower altitudes.
This time, it’s not science fiction.
It’s space weather with teeth.
