A powerful G4 geomagnetic storm hammered Earth Sunday, triggering dazzling auroras visible deep into the mid-latitudes — and sounding alarms across key satellite, power, and communication systems.
From the Midwest plains to Southern California, skies glowed in otherworldly pinks, greens, and purples. But while the auroras stole the spotlight, space weather experts warned the storm’s reach stretched far beyond stargazers’ delight.
What Triggered the Storm? A Sunspot With an Attitude
This wasn’t just any solar flare. The culprit — active region 4100 — unleashed a major Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) late Friday, hurtling solar plasma directly toward Earth.
That CME arrived Sunday morning between 06:00 and 12:00 UTC, punching Earth’s magnetosphere hard enough to trigger a G4-level storm. That’s one notch below the highest classification on the five-step geomagnetic storm scale.
The flare was caught in real-time by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, with images showing a fiery, twisting filament erupting around 04:28 UTC.
This same sunspot group has been active for days — and it’s still facing Earth.
The Beautiful Side: Auroras South of the Usual
By early Sunday, folks across unusual spots like Kansas, Missouri, and even parts of Northern California were spotting auroras — a rare sight for those living far from the poles.
Incredible photos came pouring in from:
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Kaikoura, New Zealand
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Utah and Colorado
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Northern Arizona
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Hungary and Slovakia
And yes, more auroras are likely tonight if geomagnetic conditions remain elevated.
Even NASA and NOAA’s SWPC (Space Weather Prediction Center) confirmed: conditions remain “active” for G3–G4 level activity in the next 12 to 24 hours.
The Darker Side: What’s Actually at Risk?
While the auroras are grabbing headlines, the real concern lies in the vulnerabilities exposed down here on Earth. G4 storms pack a punch.
Among the high-risk systems:
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Power grids: Especially long-distance lines in North America, Scandinavia, and parts of East Asia. Voltage irregularities and transformer failures are possible.
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Satellite systems: Positioning, orientation, and even lifespan could be affected. There’s increased drag on low-Earth orbit satellites.
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GPS & Navigation: Aviation, maritime, and even autonomous systems can lose precision or drop out altogether.
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Radio communications: Especially over high-frequency (HF) bands used by pilots, ships, and the military.
One expert told Bloomberg, “This isn’t just a light show. It’s the solar system poking at our infrastructure.”
Current Status and Forecast: Hold On Tight
As of late Sunday night UTC, Earth remains inside the turbulent solar wind stream from the CME.
The forecast? Volatile.
SWPC models suggest elevated geomagnetic activity will continue through Monday. A second CME from the same sunspot group may merge with the first, causing “cannibal” effects — and possibly another geomagnetic spike.
Here’s what the short-term looks like:
Date (UTC) | Storm Level | Auroras Possible In |
---|---|---|
June 2 | G3–G4 | Northern U.S., Europe, New Zealand |
June 3 | G2 | Upper Midwest, Northern U.K. |
June 4 | G1 | Canada, Alaska, Iceland |
Note: Forecasts may change quickly depending on CME speeds and Earth’s magnetic field alignment.
How Common Are G4 Storms? Not Very.
G4-class storms are rare but not unheard of. According to NOAA, we typically see a handful per solar cycle — which lasts roughly 11 years.
The most infamous example? The Halloween Storms of 2003, when multiple X-class flares knocked out satellites and caused airline rerouting across the globe.
And of course, there’s the Carrington Event of 1859 — the granddaddy of them all — which lit up telegraph lines and sparked fires from New York to Paris.
But this current storm? It’s strong, but not apocalyptic. Still, it’s a wake-up call.
Social Media Explodes With Skies That Don’t Look Real
This is where the internet came alive.
Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram were flooded with stunning visuals and disbelief. Many users posted photos captioned with “Unfiltered!” or “Straight from my backyard in Nevada!” — and they weren’t exaggerating.
Some viral moments included:
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A timelapse of auroras dancing over the Grand Canyon
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A neon pink arc captured from Texas (!)
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A reel of people in Japan seeing auroras for the first time in their lives
And then came the memes, of course. “Solar storm got us all living in a vaporwave album cover,” joked one user.
What Happens Next?
The sunspot region behind this drama isn’t finished yet. It’s still facing Earth — and could launch more CMEs in the coming days.
NOAA says to watch for continued solar activity through the next week. Amateur radio operators, skywatchers, and grid operators are all on high alert.
If you’re in a location with clear skies and low light pollution, tonight might be your last shot for auroras until the next big storm. But don’t be surprised if your GPS acts a little drunk.
Stay sky-aware. And maybe — keep your camera charged.