solar flares
Latest about solar flares
Enormous 'sunspot archipelago' 15 times wider than Earth could soon bombard us with solar flares
By Harry Baker published
A massive sunspot region made up of at least six different sunspot groups has emerged on the sun's nearside. The "archipelago" of dark patches is spitting out solar storms at an alarming rate and Earth will soon be in the firing line.
15 signs the sun is gearing up for its explosive peak — the solar maximum
By Harry Baker published
Experts believe the upcoming solar maximum could be more active and arrive sooner than previously expected. Here are 15 signs that they are right.
'Cannibal' coronal mass ejection that devoured 'dark eruption' from sun will smash into Earth today (July 18)
By Harry Baker published
Two coronal mass ejections have combined into an enormous cloud of magnetized plasma that is forecast to hit Earth on Tuesday and potentially trigger a weak geomagnetic storm.
Giant sunspot grew 10 times wider than Earth in just 48 hours, then spat X-class flare right at us
By Harry Baker published
The enormous dark patch and its powerful eruption are both signs that the solar maximum is fast approaching — and could be more active than expected.
Solar maximum could hit us harder and sooner than we thought. How dangerous will the sun's chaotic peak be?
By Harry Baker published
The sun is quickly approaching a major peak in solar activity. Experts warn it could potentially begin by the end of 2023, years before initial predictions suggested.
Solar flares created in the lab for 1st time
By Harry Baker published
Researchers were able to replicate how solar flares form by creating banana-sized loops of plasma in a lab. The results show that the mini flares are an excellent proxy for studying the real things.
Gigantic 'solar tornado' taller than 14 Earths raged for 3 days. What caused it?
By Harry Baker published
A massive solar tornado recently towered over the sun's north pole for three days. The plasma twister was created by a rapidly rotating magnetic field.
Puzzle of the sun's mysterious 'heartbeat' signals finally solved
By Harry Baker published
After studying an unusual solar eruption from 2017, researchers think they've pinpointed the likely origin of mysterious heartbeat-like signals emitted by the sun during solar flares.
Powerful X-class flare spat out a rare 'solar tsunami,' and you can hear it smashing into Earth
By Harry Baker published
The sun recently spat out an X-class solar flare, one of the most powerful it can emit, which triggered a rare shockwave across the sun's surface and caused radio blackouts on Earth.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.