ScienceNasa Warns Of Massive Solar Storm—Blackouts And Auroras Expected Worldwide
A significant solar storm has threatened to create blackouts throughout the planet, prompting NASA to issue a warning.
As it approaches Earth, the massive solar storm has the potential to inflict extensive disruptions.
Last week saw the start of the massive solar eruption in the sun’s northern hemisphere, and the subsequent explosion has spread nearly 600,000 miles.
Once it reaches Earth, it may affect power grids and communications systems like Satnavs.
NASA is now alerting the world about the storm’s measurement at the highest category for solar flare measurements, the X2.7-class.
ScienceNasa Warns Of Massive Solar Storm—Blackouts And Auroras Expected Worldwide
A significant solar storm has threatened to create blackouts throughout the planet, prompting NASA to issue a warning.
As it approaches Earth, the massive solar storm has the potential to inflict extensive disruptions.
Last week saw the start of the massive solar eruption in the sun’s northern hemisphere, and the subsequent explosion has spread nearly 600,000 miles.
Once it reaches Earth, it may affect power grids and communications systems like Satnavs.
NASA is now alerting the world about the storm’s measurement at the highest category for solar flare measurements, the X2.7-class.
Source: Freepik
This kind of storm is brought on by the solar wind that the sun emits and disrupts the magnetic field of our planet.
This can affect earthbound infrastructure like power grids, satellites, and GPS systems when charged particles that are produced from the sun strike our magnetic barrier.
How is the solar flare impacting people on Earth?
Mass radio blackouts have already been reported in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and the US space agency fears that more will follow.
Aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina compared the eruption to a “bird-wing” or “angel-wing event” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently, but finally did something noteworthy! Check out this gorgeous "bird wing" filament eruption today. Thus far, it looks like it will mostly miss us, but we could get the wake of the structure passing by Earth… pic.twitter.com/Eppnw2jmuB
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) May 13, 2025
ScienceNasa Warns Of Massive Solar Storm—Blackouts And Auroras Expected Worldwide
A significant solar storm has threatened to create blackouts throughout the planet, prompting NASA to issue a warning.
As it approaches Earth, the massive solar storm has the potential to inflict extensive disruptions.
Last week saw the start of the massive solar eruption in the sun’s northern hemisphere, and the subsequent explosion has spread nearly 600,000 miles.
Once it reaches Earth, it may affect power grids and communications systems like Satnavs.
NASA is now alerting the world about the storm’s measurement at the highest category for solar flare measurements, the X2.7-class.
Source: Freepik
This kind of storm is brought on by the solar wind that the sun emits and disrupts the magnetic field of our planet.
This can affect earthbound infrastructure like power grids, satellites, and GPS systems when charged particles that are produced from the sun strike our magnetic barrier.
How is the solar flare impacting people on Earth?
Mass radio blackouts have already been reported in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and the US space agency fears that more will follow.
Aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina compared the eruption to a “bird-wing” or “angel-wing event” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
He added: “This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view.”
The US will soon be impacted, with northern states anticipated to be particularly hard hit.
Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, and Alaska are among them.
NASA has stated that the storm is expected to deliver the northern lights to 11 US states, but it’s not all terrible because these storms may also produce breathtaking auroras.
In a statement, the UK Met Office said, “Solar activity is expected to remain mostly low, but with an ongoing chance of isolated moderate-class flares.”
Concerned that the “Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently,” Dr. Tamitha Sjov stated that X “finally did something noteworthy.”
Fellow solar physicist Halo CME also asked the question on X: “Is the Sun waking up again?”
They noted that it was ‘the first X-class flare since March 28, 2025,’ and added, “This is associated with a CME that drives a weak shock wave responsible for a minor SEP event.”
What is a CME?
An eruption’s release of solar material and magnetic fields is known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME.
On May 16, 2025, experts anticipate that a piece of the CME may touch down on Earth, even though the majority of it is currently heading away from us.
Jake Foster, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: “Loops of hot plasma can sprout up from the Sun’s surface, following along its magnetic field lines, and occasionally they break free and shoot off into space at high speeds.”
“These eruptions are huge collections of high energy solar particles, so when they hit the Earth’s atmosphere they can cause a few different effects.”