The Sun

5 solar eruption photos will sizzle your brain

by JoAnna Wendel
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
A close-up of the sun during the solar eruption

Our life-giving Sun isn’t just a ball of roiling hot plasma and gas, sitting still in space.

In fact, it often flares in a spectacular fashion with sudden intense brightness and electromagnetic radiation, or hurls high-energy plasma out into space in a coronal mass ejection (CME).

Tap
Space, Time, Dinosaurs, and Other Essential Topics
Get the best of science—space missions, black holes, futuristic biology—delivered daily, minus the jargon.
By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy