US space agency NASA has shared stunning videos that shows the Sun releasing powerful solar flares. NASA Goddard’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a unit that monitors the Sun’s movement captured this rare glimpse late at night on May 7 and early hours of May 8.
The space agency shared a glimpse of “two energetic flashes with dancing loops” on its Instagram handle. The caption read, “You make a loop-de-loop and pull, and your Sun is looking cool!”
“The Sun—like even the most vibrant people—is not a constant ray of sunshine. It constantly cycles through periods of higher and lower activity. High activity can lead to these solar flares or dramatic explosions of energy out from the Sun,” NASA wrote.
The strongest flares are known as “X-class flares,” like the two shown in the post, the space agency said.
“The number of solar flares increases every 11 years or so around what is called a solar maximum. Scientists expect the Sun’s activity to ramp up as we approach solar maximum; there have been 13 X-class solar flares so far this year,” NASA explained.
When directed at Earth, the most powerful flares could disrupt satellites, GPS signals, and radio communications. Because of that, a multitude of space and land-based instruments keep watch for potential impacts.
