Sun Eruption Sends Huge Flare and CME, Boosting Northern Lights Chances This Week

Sun eruption on May 10 sent a powerful M5.7 flare and an associated coronal mass ejection (CME) that could produce a glancing blow to Earth and raise the odds of visible northern lights later this week.

The M5.7-class flare erupted from sunspot region AR4436 on May 10 and was strong enough to trigger a temporary radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center reported.

The eruption also launched a CME, a large cloud of magnetized solar plasma, that models show may pass near Earth and spark minor geomagnetic activity when it arrives, according to Space.

Possibility of Producing Severe Storm

Forecasters say the event is unlikely to produce a severe storm like the extreme G5 event of May 10, 2024, but even a glancing hit could be enough to boost aurora activity at high latitudes and potentially allow northern lights to appear farther south than normal.

Both NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.K. Met Office is watching the active sunspot regions AR4436 and AR4432 closely because they could produce additional M-class flares and possibly X-class eruptions in the coming days.

Observers should expect the greatest chance for displays during local night hours when geomagnetic activity peaks, and clear, dark skies away from city lights will improve visibility.

Minor geomagnetic storms (G1) can produce auroras in typical northern-light locations and occasionally push visible displays into northern U.S. states such as Michigan, Maine or similar latitudes, while stronger activity would be required for mid-latitude shows.

Impacts on technology are expected to be limited for this CME, though short-lived radio blackouts and minor effects on satellite operations or power systems are possible if conditions briefly intensify.

The earlier radio blackout over the Atlantic underlines how solar X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation can ionize the upper atmosphere and interfere with high-frequency communications used by aircraft and ships.

The M5.7 flare and CME follow a period of increasing solar activity tied to the Sun's current active magnetic cycle, when sunspots and eruptions are more frequent and energetic.

Scientists note that successive eruptions from nearby active regions can alter a CME's path or amplify its magnetic structure, so forecasts may change as new observations come in, Live Science reported.

Spacecraft such as NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and the ESA/NASA SOHO satellite continue to monitor the eruption in multiple wavelengths to refine arrival-time estimates and magnetic orientation, which determine how strongly Earth's magnetosphere will react.

Amateur aurora trackers and professionals use real-time solar-monitoring sites and forecasts to time viewing attempts; services such as SpaceWeatherLive and aurora forecast maps update expected KP and G-scale activity as models converge on the CME's arrival time.

Photographers and skywatchers should monitor official updates from NOAA and the Met Office for arrival-time adjustments and watch local space-weather alerts for the clearest guidance. Skywatchers should check updated KP-index forecasts and local clear-sky chances over the next 48–72 hours for the best opportunity to see aurora, as per Tempo.