The Sun has produced a strong solar flare that caused radio blackouts over the past week and could lead to an increase in aurora displays.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy that fire outwards from the Sun and can affect radio communications and power grids on Earth, but can also be a danger to spacecraft and astronauts in space.
The flare was an X2.7 class solar flare, 'X' meaning it's the most intense type of flare, and the number denoting its strength.
It peaked at 04:25 ET on Wednesday 14 May, and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory was able to capture an image of the event.
The flare is one of a few that took place over the past week, including an X1.2 flare on 13 May.
Radiation from the solar flares hitting Earth caused radio blackouts that affected the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and southeast Asia.
Solar flares explained
Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation from the Sun, and some of the most powerful events in the Solar System.
Earth's protective atmosphere means solar flares are not directly dangerous for humans on Earth, but they can disrupt communications and can be a danger to astronauts working in space.
The Sun is currently at the peak of its solar cycle, which is an 11-year pattern that sees the Sun go from quiet and inactive to very active.
When active, the Sun produces phenomena such as solar flares, sunspots and coronal mass ejections.
What's causing these flares?
The recent flares of May 2025 came from a pair of sunspots, including new sunspot AR4087, which is currently being pushed round to face Earth by the Sun's rotation.
Sunspots are strongly linked to the emergence of solar flares.
The UK Met Office says "there are currently six sunspot regions on the visible disc."
"A large region in the north-centre disc, has been relatively stable in recent hours but remains the largest and most complex region."
As AR4087 comes to face our planet, it could cause strong solar flares to be fired out in our direction.
This could lead to further blackouts and communication disruptions, but also increased chances of aurora displays.
Flares of this magnitude are not frequent, according to the US Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It said "users of high frequency radio signals may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth"
More updates are expected over the coming days as AR4087 comes into full view.
