Solar Flare May Trigger Light Show Tonight

It might pay to glance up at the sky late tonight. A solar flare that erupted from the sun on Thursday is sending a blob of charged gas toward Earth that could make for some dazzling displays of the northern lights, reports Space.com. (The higher latitudes, such as Alaska, will get the best views.) Known as a coronal mass ejection in science-speak, the blast isn't expected to cause much trouble for satellites or the power grid, notes the Washington Post. The site SpaceWeather.com has more details. (More solar flare stories.)