The Sun’s red hue is due to a massive storm that hit the Earth in late 2022.

It’s not just the sky that has been blood red today, but also the Sun. The bright star has been tinted crimson as a result of an enormous storm that hit the Earth in late 2022. A huge solar flare resulted in a coronal mass ejection (CME), which sent billions of tonnes of particles hurtling towards Earth at a staggering 6 million miles per hour. This resulted in what was known as a Carrington-class solar storm, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington who first observed and documented such events.

The CME caused widespread disruption to communications on Earth, with many satellites and GPS systems knocked offline for days at a time. One particular instance saw satellites being knocked out for more than three weeks, resulting in thousands of planes being grounded across Europe and North America. The storm also knocked out power grids across much of the world, causing widespread blackouts and leaving millions without power for days or even weeks at a time.

The effects were felt on Earth were particularly severe due to the timing of the event. It took place during August 2022, when most countries were already experiencing scorching temperatures thanks to what is now known as an El Niño event. In some areas, it led to temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit above average for this time of year.