Solar Storms and Flares - NASA Science

What is a solar flare and how dangerous are they?

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on Nov. 30, 2025, peaking at 9:49 p.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as X1.9 class: go.nasa.gov/4alXf6P Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground. However — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS & communications signals travel. To see how such sp

The huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge

Sun news: A pair of fiery simultaneous eruptions

😯👉On February 4, the Sun unleashed an intense X4.2 solar flare, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Solar flares in the X-class category are the most powerful type, releasing enormous bursts of energy and radiation into space. This flare reached its peak at 7:13 a.m. Eastern Time and was carefully observed by researchers who track solar activity. Even though the radiation from flares like this cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to harm people on the ground, these eruptions can s