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.

 

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 2:54 a.m. ET on May 10, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

The bottom right area of the Sun, shown in gold and against a black background. There are some loops cascading off the Sun. Toward the middle is a bright white area — the solar flare.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash toward the middle of the image – on May 10, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in 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.

This flare is classified as an X3.9 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.

Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 1:44 p.m. ET on May 9, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

A composite image of the Sun in blue, green, and red shows an X-class flare as a large, bright burst of white and red light in the lower right.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the lower right – on May 9, 2024. The composite image combines three wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light that highlight the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in green, blue, and 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 2 Strong Solar Flares

The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, peaking at 5:40 p.m. ET on May 8, 2024, and 5:13 a.m. ET on May 9, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of the events.

On the left, a teal Sun against a black background. The Sun has bright spots, especially on the far left and far right, but the brightest spot is slight to the right of center. There there is a bright flash — the flare. On the right, the same Sun, shown in red. The bright flash of the second flare is in the same spot as the first.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares – as seen in the bright flash in the lower right – on May 8, 2024 (left) and May 9, 2024 (right). The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares. The left image is colorized in teal and the right image 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.

The first flare is classified as an X1.0 flare and the second flare is classified as an X2.2 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, the first peaking at 9:41 p.m. ET on May 7, 2024, and the second peaking at 1:09 a.m. ET on May 8, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured images of the events.

A split screen view of the Sun, shown in a dark orange and black. On the left, the May 8 flare is a bright white burrst of sputtering solar material. On the right, the May 7 flare is a bright white burst of solar material seen near the black expanse of space.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares — as seen in the bright flashes in the left image (May 8 flare) and the right image (May 7 flare). 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.

Both flares were classified as X1.0 flares. 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 Three Strong Flares

The Sun emitted three strong solar flares. The first flare peaked at 2:01 A.M. ET on May 5, 2024, and the second peaked at 7:54 A.M. ET on May 5, 2024. The third peaked at 2:35 A.M. ET on May 6, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

A cropped view of the Sun, colorized in teal. The Sun is rotating toward the right. As it rotates, a bright real active region ejects solar material several times.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of the solar flares — as seen in the bright flashes in the upper right — on May 5 and May 6, 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.

The first flare is classified as an X1.3 flare. The second flare is classified as an X1.2 flare. The third flare is classified as an X4.5 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.