Rare Solar Storm Lights Up Italy’s Skies in Stunning Aurora Display

Italy’s northern regions glowed under an extraordinary celestial show. But behind the beauty lies a warning: Earth’s vulnerability to extreme solar activity is growing.

, and Administrator

2026 January 20 . 1:22 PM

1 min read

The image shows the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy at night, illuminated by the lights of the... — The image shows the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy at night, illuminated by the lights of the buildings and the stars in the night sky. The water below reflects the lights, creating a beautiful contrast between the dark sky and the illuminated buildings.

Rare Solar Storm Lights Up Italy’s Skies in Stunning Aurora Display

A powerful solar storm struck Earth this week, producing vivid auroras across Northern Italy and triggering warnings about potential disruptions. The event, one of the strongest in two decades, followed a massive eruption on the Sun that sent charged particles racing towards our planet at extraordinary speed. The storm began with a major solar eruption on January 19. This explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) directly toward Earth. The cloud of charged particles covered 150 million kilometres in just over 25 hours, travelling faster than 1,600 kilometres per second. The aurora borealis lit up skies across Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Emilia-Romagna. The display also stretched over the Alps and the Dolomites, dazzling observers with rare intensity. Scientists measured the storm at level 4 on a 5-point scale, matching the strength of the infamous 'Halloween storm' from 2003. The Sun’s magnetic field was oriented southward during the event. This alignment strengthened its connection with Earth’s magnetic field, amplifying both the auroras and geomagnetic disturbances. As a result, pilots on polar routes were advised to monitor elevated radiation levels, with some flights potentially rerouted to safer latitudes. Experts warned of possible disruptions to high-frequency communications, satellite services, and GPS systems. The Sun is currently in its most active phase, with heightened solar activity expected to continue in the coming months as it nears solar maximum. The storm has passed, but researchers caution that similar events could occur again soon. The recent eruption highlights the risks posed by extreme space weather, from navigation errors to communication blackouts. Authorities have yet to identify any specific organisation issuing technical warnings in Italy.