A massive solar storm is hurtling towards the Earth after the biggest eruption on the sun in six years.
The radiation storm is expected to create spectacular displays of the Northern Lights - but there are fears it could also disrupt communications, damage satellites and cause power grid outages at northern latitudes.
That first, moderate flare triggered the release of billions of tons of charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere, now travelling towards the earth at speeds of up to 1400 miles per second, according to Nasa's Goddard Space Weather Centre.