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.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Strong solar flares like this can cause coronal mass ejections (CME); explosions of plasma and magnetic field that can cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth.