⚡ Solar storm alert! On Monday, January 19 at 2:09 a.m. Beijing Time, an X1.9-class solar flare erupted from the sun’s active region 14341, unleashing a massive coronal mass ejection (CME). This was the first X-class flare of 2026 and it packed a serious punch!
From around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, Earth’s magnetic field began to ripple. By 8:00 p.m., the storm had delivered six hours of extreme geomagnetic activity followed by another six hours of moderate disturbances, according to space weather monitors.
Space-based monitoring
The Chinese mainland’s Fengyun-3E satellite detected a sharp drop in geomagnetic indices as the storm intensified. Meanwhile, the Fengyun-3H satellite snapped stunning images of auroras dancing across the Northern Hemisphere, offering a cosmic light show from space.
Auroras light up northern Chinese mainland
On Tuesday night, skywatchers in Mohe, Heilongjiang Province in the Chinese mainland were treated to colorful northern lights 🌌✨. These auroras occur when charged solar particles collide with Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere, painting the sky in vivid reds, greens, and purples.
Space enthusiasts around the globe are already sharing epic shots on social media. Keep your eyes on the sky this week—you never know when the next solar-powered light show will begin!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
