Major solar flare lights up skies, triggers rare auroras across US and Europe

Technology Jan 22, 2026

On January 18, a huge solar flare from sunspot AR4341 sparked radio blackouts in the Americas and sent a burst of energy racing toward Earth.
When it hit on January 19, it produced a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm—lighting up the sky with auroras in places that rarely see them.

Auroras spotted far south, but most tech stayed safe

Thanks to this powerful solar storm, auroras were observed across Europe and in parts of Canada and the US though many reports indicate activity remained mostly at higher latitudes.
Despite how intense things got in space weather terms, only minor disruptions were reported on Earth.
By January 21, things had mostly calmed down—a reminder that while space can get wild, our tech held up pretty well this time.