Northern Lights take their cue from massive solar storm (images)

This is the sky show as seen from the shores of Lake Superior. It is just part of what skywatchers expect will be an incredible series of auroras resulting from the impact of charged particles smashing through the Earth's protective shell during the current solar storm.

After four years of relative quiet, the sun has begun generating powerful blasts: two, actually, within the space of month: February 15 and March 9. Scientists note that flares are our solar system's largest explosive events.

A view from Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

The sky from Sandy Point, near Invercargill, New Zealand.

The increased radiation, which collects along the Earth's poles, has the potential to wreak temporary havoc with communications. But it also makes for quite beautiful auroras. To learn more about solar storms, click here.

This shot is taken from video of solar eruptions and the resulting geomagnetic storm.

Image of the sun taken today.

This is an infrared view of the eruptions.

This solar flare was categorized as an X5.4, making it the second largest flare logged by astronomers since 2009.

The Venus Express spacecraft orbiting Venus is much closer to the sun than is the Earth. Scientists at the European Space Agency report that the craft was affected by the radiation on March 7. Startracker cameras that help Venus Express measure its position and orientation got blinded, forcing mission controllers back on Earth to take them out of service temporarily. A representative said the craft is now maintaining its altitude using gyroscopes.