Powerful solar flare occurred: it can cause auroras and strong magnetic storms
Kyiv • UNN
Three powerful solar plasma ejections are heading towards Earth, which could cause noticeable auroras on November 12 and 13. The third coronal mass ejection, the most powerful in 2025, caused radio blackouts over Europe and Africa.
A powerful solar flare has pushed a stream of energy towards Earth, which could cause large auroras in the northern hemisphere, writes UNN with reference to Live Science.
Details
Three powerful ejections of solar plasma are reportedly heading towards Earth.
And on Wednesday, November 12, the aurora borealis may be visible, according to a warning from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA also added that a strong aurora is also expected on Thursday, November 13, although this forecast may change as new data becomes available in the coming days.
The third, most powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) reportedly occurred on Tuesday morning after a giant X5.1 solar flare - almost five times more intense than the previous two flares and the most powerful solar flare of 2025 to date. According to Space.com, the powerful flare caused radio blackouts over Europe and Africa shortly after its eruption.
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Possible "strong" magnetic storms
NOAA predicts that the giant coronal mass ejection accompanying this flare will reach Earth on Wednesday, November 12. Combined with the effects of the two previous flares, this could cause serious disturbances to Earth's magnetic field. NOAA predicts that the resulting geomagnetic storm could reach a "strong" G4 level - the second highest level on the agency's scale.
According to NOAA, G4-class geomagnetic storms can not only bring the aurora borealis to much lower latitudes than usual, but also cause fluctuations in power grids, low-frequency radio interference, and GPS errors.
Addition
Solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and geomagnetic storms are becoming more frequent and intense during the solar maximum, the peak of the approximately 11-year solar activity cycle. Astronomers suggest that we are observing the maximum of the current solar cycle now, although the peak of activity may have already occurred last year.