Sky watchers across North America are anxiously anticipating what could be the most intense display of aurora borealis in decades this weekend in the wake of two major solar flares.

Aurora watchers could be in for a treat after the Sun blasted off a huge X-class flare this week. A sunspot region unleashed an X-class solar flare on Thursday (3 Oct), which are the most powerful. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory,

The Sun just unleashed the most powerful flare we've seen in seven years. On October 3, a flare measured at a strength of X9.0 exploded right in the middle of the solar disk. Even more excitingly, it was accompanied by what is known as a halo coronal mass ejection – one that is ejected straight at Earth.

Aurora police are investigating a police shooting that happened when department officers were responding to a fight in a parking lot.

Police in Aurora were responding to a fight in a parking lot on Thursday afternoon when the shooting occurred.

One person was killed after being shot by Aurora police Thursday afternoon. Police say the person was armed with a rifle.