A powerful solar storm is heading towards Earth, potentially causing the aurora borealis to appear as far south as Alabama and Northern California in the US. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch, forecasting the storm’s arrival from Friday through the weekend. The sun has been emitting intense solar flares, including five significant coronal mass ejections, which have the potential to disrupt satellites and power grids. NOAA emphasizes the exceptional nature of this event, as the flares are associated with a sunspot 16 times larger than Earth. If the storm reaches its peak, it could result in power outages and damage to power transformers.