Posted: Tue, Aug 3, 2010, 9:38 AM ET (1338 GMT)
A powerful solar storm spotted on Sunday could create auroral displays on Earth later this week, scientists said Monday. One or possibly two coronal mass eruptions took place on the Earth-facing side of the Sun early Sunday, sending plasma towards Earth. That plasma, which could arrive as soon as late Tuesday, could trigger aurorae at high to perhaps middle latitudes. NOAA forecasts predict a 10 percent change of a major geomagnetic storm and a 45 percent chance of some activity when the solar plasma reaches the Earth.

Related Links:

•  Astronomy Now article
•  SPACE.com article
•  MSNBC article
•  CNN article
•  Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics press release