Sun Releases 2 Strong Flares

The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, peaking at 4:48 a.m. and 2:36 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of the events.

Two-panel image showing bright solar flares on June 1
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of two solar flares – seen as the bright flashes near the center of the images – on June 1. The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in blue and gold. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

The first flare is classified as an X1.4 flare, and the second flare is classified as X1.0. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 6:03 p.m. ET on May 31, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The Sun, shown in red, appears against a black background. Several bright yellow active regions appear across the Sun. A bright flash of yellow and white light can be seen in the lower left part of the Sun.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the left – on May 31, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in red. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.1 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Sun Releases Strong Solar Flare

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 10:37 a.m. ET on May 29, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The Sun, shown in orange, appears against a black background. A few bright yellow active regions appear across the Sun. A bright flash of yellow and white light can be seen on the lower left edge of the Sun against the black background.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the left – on May 29, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in orange. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.4 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

 

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 3:08 a.m. ET on May 27, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

a close up image of a solar flare on the Sun, with the Earth inset at scale for size comparison
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare seen as the bright flash on the limb of the Sun on May 27, 2024, with an inset image of Earth for scale. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in red. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as a X2.8 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 10:38 a.m. ET on May 15, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The Sun, shown in teal, appears against a black background. Swirling across the Sun are many bright teal active regions. On the left, a bright flash of teal and white light, forming an "X" shape, can be seen on the edge of the Sun against the black background.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the left – on May 15, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X2.9 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Sun Releases Strong Solar Flare

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 4:37 a.m. ET on May 15, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The Sun, shown in teal, against a black background. Swirling across the Sun are many bright teal active regions. On the right, a bright flash of teal and white light, forming an "X" shape, can be seen against the Sun and the black background.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the right – on May 15, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X3.4 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 12:51 p.m. ET on May 14, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The red and yellow Sun against a black background. The Sun is primarily red with several bright yellow active regions swirling across its surface. On the right, a bright yellow burst is seen cascading off the Sun against the black background.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the right – on May 14, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in red and yellow. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X8.7 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Sun Releases 2 Strong Solar Flares

The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, the first peaking at 10:09 p.m. ET on May 13, 2024, and the second peaking at 8:55 a.m. ET on May 14, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of the event.

On the left, a portion of a purple Sun, with a bright flash of white-blue material against a black background. On the right, a dark golden Sun, with a bright pink flash against a black background.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares – as seen in the bright flash on the right sides of the images – on May 13 and May 14, 2024. These images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in purple, pink, and gold. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

The first flare is classified as an X1.7 class flare and the second flare is classified as an X1.2 class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Strong Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 12:26 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 12. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The disk of the Sun, colorized in teal, features a bright flash on the lower right. Less intense bright spots and loops of material dot much of the Sun's surface.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the lower right – on May 12. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in teal. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.0 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Sun Releases 2 Strong Flares

The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, peaking at 9:23 p.m. ET on May 10, 2024, and 7:44 a.m. ET on May 11, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

A side-by-side image of two solar flares that erupted on May 10-11, 2024. The images show close-ups of one edge of the Sun, with bright flashes (the flare) towards the center of the image
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of the two solar flares on May 10 and May 11, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares created from a mixture of SDO’s AIA 193, 171 and 131 channels. Credit: NASA/SDO

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

The flares are classified as X5.8 and X1.5-class flares, respectively. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.