The sun has unleashed the most powerful solar flare since 2017, just days after it spat out another monster explosion. Both outbursts have launched solar storms that will likely hit Earth this weekend and trigger vibrant aurora displays.

Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are normal behavior for the Sun, particularly when it's in the peak of its activity cycle, as scientists believe is the case right now. They often occur in association with each other, erupting from sunspots on the surface of the Sun.

Earlier this week, the Sun unleashed several X-class flares. These are categorically the strongest. An active region on the star is facing Earth, and as this place expels charged particles, they bombard us. When they interact with our planet’s magnetic field, they trigger auroras near the north and south poles.