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World Bulletin / News Desk

A giant X-class solar flare has brought amazing views to stargazers in South Pole, aurora australis lighting up the skies on the weekend.

The X-class flare – the strongest the Sun produces – triggered a geomagnetic storm, resulting in the aurora. The charged gas was channeled into the north and south poles.

Stunning pictures of the aurora lighting up the sky show a deep but hazy red and green glow.

The aurora was caused by a geomagnetic storm which stemmed from a X-class solar flare that exploded from the sun on Friday morning.

Atoms would get thrown high up in the air, and that would create the glow. The base of an aurora was usually about 100km up in the air, and that could extend up to a further 300km at the top.

Footage shot in Tekapo shows a bright green glow above the horizon, with periodic outbreaks of red beams shining higher into the sky.

The sun is in the midst of the active phase of its 11-year cycle. Activity is expected to peak next year.