A massive solar flare, the largest since 2017, has been observed erupting from the Sun’s surface.

Solar flares consist of electromagnetic radiation that travels at the speed of light from the Sun and can reach Earth in about eight minutes.

They can disrupt some radio communications and satellites, but most of us are unlikely to see those effects.

There is also a chance that northern latitudes will see the Northern Lights this weekend as two geomagnetic storms are forecast to hit Earth.

Solar flares do not cause the Northern Lights. They are caused by a phenomenon called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which erupt from an active sunspot.

Combined with solar flares, they can create solar storms that interact with Earth’s magnetic field or magnetosphere.

The CMEs spew out plasma and magnetic field, and up to billions of tons of material, that can hit Earth. As our magnetosphere repels the storm, the aurora is created.

“There is a chance that a coronal mass ejection could arrive on Earth late Friday or early Saturday, which could lead to visible auroras for Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England,” said Met Office weather manager Krista Hammond Space Weather.

A second CME is likely to hit Earth on Saturday and Sunday, associated with the solar flare rated X9.

That means “enhanced visibility of the Northern Lights is possible further south in central England and similar latitudes, although cloud and rain may hamper viewing potential for some,” says Krista Hammond.

In the US, auroras could be seen in the northern states and from the Midwest to Oregon, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The emitted X9 solar flare is the largest categorized by NASA. The smallest is B, followed by C, M and X. The scale goes from 1 to 9, so X9 is the most powerful in NASA’s rankings.

The sun is approaching something called ‘solar maximum’ and is most active on an eleven-year cycle.

As the sun enters this active phase, the Earth is more likely to be hit by strong geomagnetic storms, meaning we’re more likely to see the Aurora Borealis in the coming months.

But scientists won’t know if the solar maximum has occurred until six months after the event, because they use six months of data analyzing the intensity and frequency of sunspots.

Current forecasts suggest we could reach solar maximum in late 2024 or early 2025.

BBC weather presenter Simon King says the British weather doesn’t look good for people hoping to see the aurora this weekend.

“It would just be the far north east of Scotland that would get a single break in the cloud for a short period of time,” he said.

“If activity proves to be a little stronger, the best clear skies on Friday evening will be more towards central and southern England.

He says clouds could hamper viewings on Saturday evening, despite the evening starting with plenty of clear skies.