The X9 solar flare originating from the sun is the largest in seven years – and Earth is in the firing line (again).

The sun has unleashed its most powerful solar flare in seven years, following another massive explosion earlier this week. Both eruptions have triggered coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth, which could trigger vivid aurora displays across much of our planet this weekend.

The latest X-class solar flare – the most powerful type the sun can produce – exploded at sunspot AR3842 around 8 a.m. EDT on Thursday (October 3). The flare had a magnitude of at least X9, making it the strongest solar flare in the current solar cycle – exceeding the magnitude of a X8.7 magnitude monster explosion in May.