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Solar flare. A solar flare is a sudden, intense burst of energy from the Sun's

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surface, basically, a giant explosion. The Sun is magnetically

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charged, and solar flares are caused by tangles in the magnetic field lines on the Sun’s surface.

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Solar flares are the largest explosive events in our solar system.

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They’re classified by size, with the smallest flares called A-class, followed

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by B, C, M, and X. X-class flares can create loops

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a hundred times as big as Earth. Solar flares release

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large amounts of radiation into space. M- and X-class flares can actually release

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enough energy that they can interfere with some radio communications and satellites in Earth’s

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orbit when they erupt on the Earth side of the Sun. Fortunately, our atmosphere

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protects us from harm here on the ground. The Sun goes through periods of

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more and less activity, and solar flares are more common during solar maximum.

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At NASA, we work with our partners at NOAA to monitor the Sun and keep an eye out

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for magnetic storms caused by solar flares.