Enormous Solar Flares Expected this Weekend: Eclipse Glasses will Give Sky Watchers a Perfect View of Them

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) weekend space weather forecast, the sun's sunspots will be erupting with R1 (minor) and R2 (moderate) solar flares today and tomorrow.

The size of the sun is truly mind-boggling - there were twelve groups of sunspots viewed this past Thursday in an area of the sun called Region 3796 that were many times larger than Earth, according to a recent article in Forbes by Arianna Johnson.

Viewing the sunspots with proper eye protection is extremely important: using a pair of eclipse glasses that are in good condition with no scratches or holes is the best way to see the impressive spectacle this weekend, according to the NOAA.

Sunspots are studied by physics teachers, who even offer a free class to learn more about this subject (Photograph courtesy of NASA)

Solar flares are one of the main reasons we can see the Northern Lights and some parts of the Earth might see some of them next week due to the solar flares from this weekend.

This weekend may be a chance to glimpse a unique event, part of what is called Solar Cycle 25, that will be a reminder of the immense size, beauty, and complexity of the big universe around us.

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