Topic: Sunspots and Solar Flares
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
-
Five reasons the world won't end in 2012
Pointing to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers think that life as we know it on Earth has entered it's final year. NASA begs to differ.
-
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 06/08
-
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Auroras
-
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: The Sun
-
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Horizon
All Content
-
Sun erupts with superheated plasma
The sun fired off super-hot plasma in a dazzling eruption, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
-
Aurora Borealis tonight? Dazzling northern lights forecast
Aurora Borealis tonight? Yes, New York, Pennsylvania, and parts of the US Midwest could see a rare spectacular aurora borealis light show tonight, based on the forecasts.
-
Spectacular NASA video shows plasma 'rain' on sun
NASA released an amazing video of an enormous solar flare erupting on the sun in July 2012
-
Sunspots: Huge and growing fast, says NASA
Sunspots of this size could produce major solar flares, which could disrupt communications on Earth. The latest sunspot is six Earth diameters across.
-
NASA video captures massive solar eruption
NASA spacecraft captured HD video of a giant plasma eruption on the surface of the Sun Friday. This plasma eruption is not headed toward Earth, so isn't expected to cause any communication problems. The sun is currently in the middle of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle.
-
Mystery continues: Why is the sun 'too round'?
New measurements show the shape of our sun is 'too round' to match the theories about the forces at work on the sun.
-
Primary violent space weather concern for next decade: the sun
A new report emphasizes the need for research to better understand the sun, how it interacts with Earth and other bodies in the solar system, and the origins of potentially harmful space weather.
-
Solar storms: Five key facts
This weekend's solar storm brought spectacular auroras over a big part of the Northern Hemisphere. Here are five facts about these dazzling – and sometimes dangerous – eruptions from our sun.
-
Are solar storms hazardous? It depends on how fast they move.
Studying the speed of particles in solar storms may help predict dangerous impacts: the slower the particles' speed, the higher the risk, say NASA scientists.
-
Huge solar storm hurtling toward Earth this weekend (+video)
Solar Storm: Scientists say not to worry about the huge stream of electrically charged plasma that is barreling toward our planet at more than three million miles per hour.
-
Huge solar eruption could make for dazzling northern lights (+video)
A giant solar eruption may bring an exceptional weekend northern lights display for those as far south as California and Alabama, a NASA scientist says.
-
Humongous solar flare erupts in our direction (+video)
The strongest solar storm of the summer so far could send a wave of charged particles toward our planet that could supercharge northern lights displays, NASA scientists say.
-
Solar eclipse: How to safely watch this evening's 'ring of fire'
During this evening's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse, what should be a spectacular display will be seen across much of the American West. Here's how to watch it safely.
-
How a solar flare could send us back to the Stone Age
A powerful enough solar flare could knock out our power grids, disrupt our GPS satellites, and bring the global economy to a halt, warns a British scientists.
-
'Monster sunspot' may foretell powerful solar flares, says NASA
A huge sunspot spanning more than 60,000 miles could erupt, sending high energy radiation into space.
-
Humongous solar flare erupts from sun
A spectacular solar flare erupted on the sun Monday, kicking up a massive amount of plasma.
-
Sun continues to spew
The sun continues its active streak this week, spitting out yet another solar flare from the same region that produced two powerful eruptions this week.
-
Solar flares: Be glad you're on Earth, not Mars (+video)
The recent solar flares provide a dramatic backdrop for a study that shows Mars gets far more of its atmosphere stripped away by solar storms than does Earth. Thank you, magnetosphere.
-
Why are there so many solar flares these days? (+video)
Solar flares are ten million times more powerful than a volcanic explosion on earth. They increase in frequency during the solar maximum phase of the sun's 11-year cycle. This cycle is expected to peak in 2013.
-
Solar storm could become severe 'bell ringer' in next 24 hours (+video)
Solar storm forecasters say the particles disgorged in a massive solar flare could strike Earth in a particular way, which would make a currently moderate solar storm more severe.
-
Biggest solar storm in years now bombarding Earth (+video)
The two huge solar flares that erupted on the sun on Tuesday have produced a wave of charged particles that are now glancing off our planet's magnetic field.
-
Solar flare: Biggest in six years hits the Earth (+video)
Solar flare: The Sun is in an 11-year cycle of solar flare activity, with a peak next year. Solar flares can disrupt power grids, satellites, oil pipelines and high-accuracy GPS systems
-
Will the solar storm disrupt power grids? (+video)
The sun has hurled a cloud of charged particles in our direction, potentially disrupting satellites and inducing current in our power grids.
-
Two powerful 'X-class' flares erupt on sun (+video)
The sun unleashed two extremely powerful flares Tuesday. NASA tentatively says that particles from the solar storms are probably heading in Earth's direction, but will likely deliver a glancing blow at most.
-
Massive radiation storm produces spectacular northern lights (+video)
The northern lights show was sparked by an intense solar flare that erupted from the sun, unleashing a wave of charged particles and triggering the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005.
Become part of the Monitor community