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Space Weather, Solar Flares & Sun Storms: Latest News
See our amazing collection of stories and features about the increasingly important topic of space weather (aka solar storms).
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The solar blast likely won't cause any problems here on Earth.
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory's Helio-Seismic and Magnetic Imager snapped imagery of the Sun during a time that was predicted to be part of Solar Maximum (the peak of the 11 year cycle of solar activity). Activity is lower than expected.
Explosions on the Sun that blast ionized plasma across space can have a big impact on the day to day lives of humans. The United Nations are taking the matter very seriously.
The solar outburst is complicating efforts to bring Curiosity back from a computer glitch.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory has entered eclipse season, where the Earth is blocking the Sun from the spacecraft's vantage point. Shortly after the Sun was in full view again, an M1.2 flare popped from Earth-facing sunspot AR1686.
The online Slooh Space Camera will offer a live webcast of the sun at 2:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT) today.
Our star's current lull may just be the calm between two storms.
Maximum solar activity (increased amounts of sun flares, sunspots, prominences and coronal mass ejections) is cyclic. 2013 should be the 11-year peak but the Sun is not presenting that way. Researchers think twin peaks may carry into 2014.
NASA's twin Van Allen Probes discovered a short-lived radiation belt that flared up in 2012.
Cassini's observations give scientists a look at processes that occur during star explosions.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captured the video during a July 2012 eruption.
Astrophotographer Chad Blakley captured three amazing videos of northern lights over Sweden's Abisko National Park.
The giant sunspot is as large as six Earths, NASA says.
On July 19th, 2012, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory witnessed a medium sized flare accompanied by a enormous magnetic loop of superheated plasma emanating from the surface
Chad Blakley (lightsoverlapland.com) captured the dance of the northern lights over Abisko National Park on February 11th, 2013. It has been a very active aurora season around the world due to the peak of the solar cycle.
Approaching Solar Maximum stimulates spectacular skies as photographer Chad Blakley (lightsoverlapland.com) captures this aurora activity over Abisko National Park on Feb. 8, 2013. The strong greenish tint indicates oxygen in the lower atmosphere.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory has completed the third year of its mission to provide scientists not only with stunningly detailed images of our sun, but a wealth of data that will help further our understanding of the sun-Earth system.
A solar eruption aimed at Earth on Feb. 9, could spark auroras later this week.
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