Scientists were recently left scratching their heads after a "potentially disruptive"

solar storm smashed into Earth without warning.

The surprise solar storm hit Earth just before midnight UTC June 25 and continued throughout most of June 26,

Scientists classified it as a G1-class storm,

which means it was strong enough to create weak power grid fluctuations,

cause minor impacts to satellite operation,

disrupt the navigational abilities of some migrating animals

and cause unusually strong auroras