Solar activity

[DrLeftover]

October 31, 2013, 4:04 p.m.

The sun has erupted more than two dozen times over the last week, sending radiation and solar material hurtling through space - and scientists say more eruptions may be coming.

This shouldn't be unusual. After all, we are technically at solar maximum, the peak of the 11-year cycle of the sun's activity. But this has been a noticeably mellow solar maximum, with the sun staying fairly quiet throughout the summer. So when our life-giving star suddenly let loose with 24 medium strength M-class solar flares and four significantly stronger X-class flares between Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, it felt like a surprise.

with video

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-solar-flare-20131031,0,7996603.story#axzz2jUasb37L

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Pretty interesting.

Maybe one day it'll send out a solar flare that will vaporize us all

 

[DrLeftover]

Two Stunning Solar Flares Caught in Action w/VIDEO

Jun 10, 2014

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught two incredible solar flares on film from start to finish on Tuesday, reminding researchers why they study these mysterious but stunning phenomena.

The agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) caught the first of two X-class solar flares erupting from the surface of the Sun to peak at 7:42 a.m. EDT, according to a NASA release.

Classified as a X2.2 flare, the burst of solar radiation appeared as a significantly large flash of light at the bottom-left of the sun, firing rays of blinding light and fiery debris across unfathomable distances in a remarkably short amount of time.

A second flare peaked only about an hour later and was captured on film at 8:55 a.m. EDT. This flare was slightly smaller in size, classified as a X1.5 flare. Images from the SDO - an unmanned orbital observational station that mostly "watches" the Sun's activity in several spectrums of light 24-hours a day - showed that these flares originated from the same side of the Sun.

Both flares were also caught on video and rendered by the Goddard Space Flight Center's Visualization Studio before being uploaded for the public's viewing pleasure.

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/7509/20140610/two-stunning-solar-flares-caught-action.htm