Following Tuesday’s solar eruption, experts warn that Earth may receive a glancing blow from the powerful CME. Aurora chaser Jure Atanackov posted, “It dwarfs all the filament eruptions we have seen recently,” predicting a possible G5—or “extreme”—geomagnetic storm.
Photographer Vincent Ledvina dubbed the eruption the “bird-wing” or “angel-wing” due to its sweeping shape. While not a direct hit, the Met Office says the CME could still enhance aurora visibility, especially in northern areas like Scotland.
This rare solar event could light up the skies and disrupt electronics on Earth. “The full force of this eruption could trigger a severe or even extreme geomagnetic storm,” Atanackov warned.