Twin Solar Blasts Are Headed For Earth — And They Could Bring Auroras To The South This Week

Two coronal mass ejections are heading for Earth following an unusual one-two solar blast over the weekend. They could trigger visible aurora events well beyond the usual northern latitudes.

Where Can Aurora Appear This Week?

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center expects the twin CMEs to brush past Earth’s magnetic field on 16 April. If the timing aligns, the combined impact could generate moderate geomagnetic storm conditions G2-class enough to push auroras into skies over states like New York and Idaho. Effects may carry on into the following day.

What Makes This Event Unusual?

Both CMEs erupted from magnetic filaments on the Sun, snapping and flinging charged solar particles into space. If they strike in close sequence, their overlap could amplify the geomagnetic response here on Earth.

As those particles meet our upper atmosphere, they disturb the magnetic field and set off the light shows we know as auroras. These typically hug the poles but can stretch further south when space weather is more active.

CMes Becoming More Frequent

This is all part of a broader pattern. The Sun is climbing toward its next solar maximum, an 11-year peak in magnetic activity marked by sunspots, flares, and frequent CMEs. We’re in the thick of that build-up now, and forecasters expect elevated activity well into 2026.

While this week’s event isn’t likely to cause major disruption, it serves as a reminder that the Sun is entering a volatile phase. Most effects will stay high in the atmosphere, but if conditions line up, the best outcome might be a flash of unexpected colour over nighttime skies.