Supercharged auroras possible this weekend as colossal 'hole' in the sun spews solar wind toward Earth

Two panel image showing a large coronal hole on the sun in the left panel and on the right is a photograph of northern lights appearing as purple and green ribbons of light in the sky.

A massive coronal hole has formed in the sun's atmosphere, unleashing a powerful stream of solar wind toward Earth. Nearby, a second, slightly smaller coronal hole is also directing solar wind our way.

There is a great chance of strong northern lights, especially at high latitudes this weekend. Recent solar activity has prompted the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a minor G1 geomagnetic storm warning for Jan. 4 and Jan. 5.