Solar flare

A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Sun's atmosphere with an energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs. Solar flares take place in the solar corona and chromosphere, heating plasma to tens of millions of kelvins and accelerating the resulting electrons, protons and heavier ions to near the speed of light. They produce electromagnetic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths from long-wave radio to the shortest wavelength gamma rays.

Related Topics:
Sun - Energy - Hydrogen bomb - Corona - Chromosphere - Plasma - Kelvins - Electrons - Protons - Ions - Speed of light - Electromagnetic radiation - Electromagnetic spectrum - Wavelength - Radio - Gamma rays

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Solar flares were first observed on the Sun in 1859 by English astronomer Richard Carrington. Similar stellar flares have also been observed to varying degrees on other stars in modern times.

Related Topics:
1859 - English - Astronomer - Richard Carrington

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The frequency of solar flares varies, from several per day when the Sun is particularly "active" to less than one each week when the Sun is "quiet". Solar flares may take several hours or even days to build up, but the actual flare takes only a matter of minutes to release its energy.

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