A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun created dazzling auroras across the globe this past weekend.
The last time a solar storm of this magnitude reached Earth was in October 2003, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth's poles, known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights (aurora australis). When the energized particles reach Earth's magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere to light up the sky with different colors.
Here are some of the stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.
