The M5.7 eruption disrupted Atlantic communications, with a CME expected near Earth by May 13
A powerful solar flare erupted from the sun on May 10, 2026, sending a wave of disruption across the Atlantic Ocean and putting space weather forecasters on alert for what may still be on the way.
The flare, classified as M5.7 — a moderate-to-strong category on the solar activity scale — erupted from sunspot region AR4436 at 9:39 a.m. EDT. Within minutes, high-frequency radio communications across the Atlantic were knocked offline, affecting a range of users who depend on those signals to operate. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.K. Met Office are both monitoring the event and its potential follow-on effects.
Who was affected by the radio blackout
The M5.7 flare ionized the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere — a process that absorbs and scatters the high-frequency radio signals that many critical communications systems rely on. Those hit by the blackout included mariners navigating open ocean, aviators communicating over transatlantic flight paths and amateur radio operators. The event was also accompanied by a Type II radio sweep, with the associated plasma traveling at an estimated speed of 650 kilometers per second.
What the CME could mean for Earth
The flare also launched a coronal mass ejection — a large cloud of charged solar particles — into space. Forecasters from NOAA and the U.K. Met Office determined that while the bulk of the ejected material is expected to travel on a trajectory passing behind Earth’s orbit, the outer edge of the expanding plume is likely to deliver a glancing blow to the planet around May 13, 2026.
That indirect encounter is not expected to cause significant disruption, but it carries enough energy to trigger minor G1-level geomagnetic storm conditions. G1 storms sit at the lowest category on the five-level geomagnetic storm scale, but they are capable of producing visible aurora activity at higher latitudes. Sky watchers across the United Kingdom and the northern United States may have a chance to see enhanced northern lights displays if conditions align around that date.
A more active sun in the days ahead
The solar activity is unlikely to stop with this single event. Both AR4436 and a neighboring sunspot region, AR4432, remain active and continue to develop. Forecasters from NOAA and the U.K. Met Office have flagged the possibility of further M-class flares in the coming days, and they have not ruled out the emergence of an X-class eruption — the most powerful category in the solar flare classification system.
Adding to that concern, AR4436 is currently rotating toward a more Earth-facing position along the sun’s northeastern limb. As it moves into that zone, any flares it produces will be aimed more directly at Earth, increasing the potential impact of future eruptions compared to the current event.
Context from the May 2024 superstorm
The current activity arrives almost exactly two years after the historic geomagnetic superstorm of May 2024, which registered as a G5 — the highest level on the scale — and produced aurora displays visible far beyond their typical range, including across much of the continental United States. That event is widely regarded as one of the most significant geomagnetic storms in roughly two decades.
The CME from the May 10 flare is expected to be considerably weaker than that storm. Still, forecasters are watching AR4436 closely as it continues to evolve and rotate toward a more direct alignment with Earth. Whether the next eruption from that region produces another glancing blow or something more significant will depend on the timing and trajectory of whatever the active sunspot releases next.
Source: Asatu News