Scientists record M5.7 flare as Solar Flare Northern Lights loom
Scientists recorded an M5.7-class solar flare on Sunday, May 10, and the solar flare northern lights story now centers on what its coronal mass ejection may do next. The eruption briefly disrupted high-frequency radio communications on the sunlit side of Earth.
The flare also produced a coronal mass ejection that could trigger geomagnetic storms and aurora displays. The Space Weather Prediction Center said most of the material should pass well behind Earth's orbit, but a glancing blow or shock arrival late on May 12 into the early portions of May 13 cannot be ruled out.
Sun activity after solar maximum
M-class solar flares are the second strongest category of solar eruption after X-class flares. The sun has been very active in recent years after reaching solar maximum, the peak of its roughly 11-year activity cycle, and the solar maximum likely ended sometime in early 2025.
That makes the May 10 flare part of a broader stretch of heightened solar activity, not an isolated event. Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field protect people from the flares' harmful radiation, but radio users on the daylight side of the planet felt the immediate effect in the form of a brief communications disruption.
What May 12 and May 13 could bring
If the coronal mass ejection delivers only a glancing blow, the result could be a minor G1 geomagnetic storm. G1 storms can still result in visible auroras in places like northern Michigan and Maine, giving sky watchers a narrow but real chance to see the display if conditions line up.
Scientists now have a tight window to watch the late May 12 into early May 13 period for a shock arrival. The practical change for readers is simple: radio disruption has already happened, and the aurora question now depends on whether the ejecta brushes Earth or stays mostly outside its orbit.
Space Weather Prediction Center forecast
The Space Weather Prediction Center's latest read leaves the main outcome leaning away from Earth while still keeping a weaker hit in play. A stronger G5 storm is not the scenario raised by the forecast; the lower-end G1 possibility is the one tied to visible auroras in northern latitudes.
For anyone watching the skies, the next useful checkpoint is the late May 12 into early May 13 window. That is when a glancing blow or shock arrival would show up if the coronal mass ejection reaches Earth at all.
