Solar flare

Latest about Solar flare

Mars with the sun in the distance

'Mystery explosion' on sun launches coronal mass ejection at Mars

By Harry Baker published

The sun has launched a surprise CME directly at Mars, which could spark auroras and damage the Red Planet's atmosphere when it hits on Sept. 1.

The Sun
Venus transit across the sun

15 dazzling images of the sun

By Donavyn Coffey published

The sun is Earth's closest star, yet its beauty is too intense to appreciate with the naked eye. Here are some of the most stunning solar images that our satellites and telescopes have captured.

The Sun
A distant red star erupting with a fiery flare that extends far off the star's surface

Gargantuan 'superflare' from distant star may have launched one of the strongest solar storms ever seen

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists studying a star system in Orion witnessed one of the most powerful stellar eruptions ever seen — and it could be devastating to nearby planets.

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A time-lapse of the butterfly CME's quickly-unfurling plasma wings.

Stunning plasma-winged 'butterfly' coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun's farside

By Ben Turner published

Astronomers spotted a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) expanding its ethereal wings as it barrelled out of the sun and toward Mercury.

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Machholz 1 as imaged by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft.

Gigantic 'alien' comet spotted heading straight for the sun

By Ben Turner published

Scientists think it may have come from another solar system

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Footage of a powerful X-class flare captured on Aug. 9, 2011 as seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite.

Mysterious 'sparks' on the sun could help scientists predict solar flares

By JoAnna Wendel published

An analysis of eight years of data reveals a possible telltale sign that a region of the sun is about to erupt.

Space
An artist's interpretation of a solar flare erupting from the sun.

Massive, hidden sunspot blasts out potential X-class flare — and Earth could soon be in the firing line

By Harry Baker published

Astronomers recently detected a massive explosion on the far side of the sun, which may have spat out one of the most powerful flares the sun can produce.

The Sun
A high-resolution GREGOR image of a sunspot, a cool, dark magnetic storm on the sun.

Why are sunspots black?

By Brandon Specktor published

Why are sunspots black? According to astronomers, it may be a big, cosmic optical illusion.

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A solar flare captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory in extreme ultraviolet light. Here we see a fiery orange and black orb and at one point a white-hot explosion taking place.

Whip-cracking burst of energy from sun could explain solar wind

By Ben Turner published

Scientists have long hypothesized about this phenomenon, but this is the first time it’s been directly observed.

Space
On June 20, 2013, at 11:15 p.m. EDT, the sun shot out a solar flare (left side), which was followed by an eruption of solar material shooting through the sun's atmosphere.

Could a solar storm ever destroy Earth?

By Brandon Specktor last updated

Could a solar storm ever destroy Earth? According to scientists, there’s no evidence that any solar weather has ever harmed a human.

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