Earth could be hit by extreme geomagnetic storm tomorrow following 600,000 mile-wide solar eruption, scientists warn

Scientists have casually warned that the Earth could be hit by a geomagnetic storm tomorrow (16 May), as you do.

So a massive solar eruption occurred on the Sun's northern hemisphere earlier this week, as Space.com reports that the explosion stretched nearly 600,000 miles (1 million kilometres).

Aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina said in a post on X that the eruption, recorded by NASA's solar observation satellites, was reminiscent of a 'bird-wing' or 'angel-wing event'.

What is a geomagnetic storm?

A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field, which happens to be caused by solar wind from the Sun.

As the Sun releases charged particles, they hit Earth’s magnetic shield, which could lead to the disruption of GPS, power grids, and satellites.

Equally, these storms can also create beautiful auroras near the poles.

When do scientists predict the storm might hit Earth?

Over on X, Dr Tamitha Sjov said that she was concerned that the 'Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently' but 'but finally did something noteworthy'.

Sharing NASA's video, the space weather physicist added: "Check out this gorgeous 'bird wing' filament eruption today. Thus far, it looks like it will mostly miss us, but we could get the wake of the structure passing by Earth sometime 16 May."

Fellow solar physicist Halo CME also asked the question on X: "Is the Sun waking up again?"

They noted that it was 'the first X-class flare since March 28, 2025,' and added: "This is associated with a CME that drives a weak shock wave responsible for a minor SEP event."

What is a CME?

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a burst of solar material and magnetic fields that gets released from the eruption.

While most of the CME is moving away from Earth, scientists predict that a portion could graze our planet on May 16, 2025.

According to the Met Office, there's a possible chance that two low confidence CMEs could pass the Earth today and tomorrow.

The Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently, but finally did something noteworthy! Check out this gorgeous "bird wing" filament eruption today. Thus far, it looks like it will mostly miss us, but we could get the wake of the structure passing by Earth… pic.twitter.com/Eppnw2jmuB

— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) May 13, 2025

Jake Foster, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: "Loops of hot plasma can sprout up from the Sun’s surface, following along its magnetic field lines, and occasionally they break free and shoot off into space at high speeds."

"These eruptions are huge collections of high energy solar particles, so when they hit the Earth’s atmosphere they can cause a few different effects."

He explained: "With enough energy, they have the potential to cause a geomagnetic storm, temporarily blocking out radio communications and satellite navigation in certain areas.

"On the more serious end of the scale, they can cause an overload to electrical infrastructure, damaging the power grid and railway lines, and potentially even sparking electrical fires."