The northern lights could once again grace US skies over the coming days. A minor geomagnetic storm is projected to impact Earth on Saturday and Sunday following the effects of a recent coronal mass ejection: plasma and magnetic field that is expelled from the sun.

The sun fired off an X1.2-class solar flare on Friday (Jan. 3), triggering radio blackouts throughout parts of the South Atlantic ocean, Africa and South America.

The new year began with a dramatic display from the sun, which unleashed a major solar flare early on Friday, January 3. The solar flare, classified as an X-class event with a strength of X1.2, erupted at 6:39 AM (Eastern Time) and reached its peak at 5:41 PM on Friday,