The Earth's yearly perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, occurred on January 4, 2021. image credit: Google

The Sun appears to have responded to the Earth's approach with a solar storm caused by a CME. image credit: Google

The CME hit the Earth's magnetic field on January 4 and 5. image credit: Google

The CME has the potential to cause significant damage to satellites, spacecraft, and electrical networks . image credit: Google

Sunspot AR3180 is the likely source of the CME due to its unstable magnetic field. image credit: Google

Space agencies, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, monitor solar weather phenomena. image credit: Google

The NOAA's DSCOVR satellite, which started collecting data in 2016, is particularly useful in monitoring various parameters of the sun and its atmosphere. image credit: Google

Solar storms can sometimes result in auroras, which can be spectacular to observe. image credit: Google

The CME has the potential to cause an extremely strong geomagnetic storm . image credit: Google

It is important to monitor and understand solar weather phenomena to mitigate potential damage. image credit: Google