Space Weather

See our amazing collection of stories and features about the increasingly important topic of space weather (aka solar storms).

Related Topics: Solar Eclipse, Aurora Borealis 

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Artist's illustration of the sun firing out large fiery looking solar flares.

Solar flares: What are they and how do they affect Earth?

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference There are five different types of solar flares. Discover what solar flares are, what causes them and the effects they have on Earth in our solar flare guide.

The sun produced an X-class flare on May 10, 2022.

A 'mixed up' sunspot just fired off a huge solar flare

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Scientists are keeping an eye on a sunspot that fired off an X-class flare while "having an identity crisis," according to SpaceWeather.com.

Artist's illustration of the parker solar probe in foreground and large orange sun in the background.

Parker Solar Probe: First spacecraft to 'touch' the sun

By Daisy Dobrijevic published

Reference NASA's Parker Solar Probe is on a mission to study the sun closer than ever before. Learn more about the fastest spacecraft to date in our solar probe guide.

The sun fired off a moderate-sized solar flare (center) on May 4, 2022.

Pew! Pew! Sun blasts two moderate solar flares in time for Star Wars Day

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

While our sun merrily blasted two moderate-size solar flares in time for Star Wars Day, auroras are likely not our destiny yet.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the solar flare May 3, 2022, which is visible at lower left.

Sun fires off huge solar flare from new sunspot coming into view

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

The active sun fired off a powerful X-class flare Tuesday (May 3), but likely not in the direction of Earth.

An artist's impression of glowing plasma, following loops of magnetic field lines that become entangled before snapping through fast magnetic reconnection.

Solar flares explode with huge energy thanks to a simple magnetic phenomenon

By Keith Cooper last updated

The secret to what drives powerful solar flares is literally in the palm of your hand.

This still image from a NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory video shows a powerful X1.1-class solar flare erupting from the sunspot AR2994 as it turns away from Earth on April 30, 2022.

Sun erupts with powerful solar flare from departing sunspot

By Tariq Malik last updated

An active sunspot on the sun turning away from Earth unleashed a powerful parting shot as it moved out of view on Saturday (April 30).

Artist's impression of discrete auroras over Mars.

Newfound auroras on Mars defy easy explanation

By Elizabeth Howell published

Scientists with the United Arab Emirates' Mars mission have spotted a 'worm-like' aurora stretching halfway across the Red Planet.

The sun let off a double solar flare on Monday, April 25, 2022.

Sunspot sends off double flare, as solar activity ramps up

By Stephanie Pappas last updated

A restless sunspot sent off a double solar flare on Monday (April 25), temporarily disrupting some radio communications in Asia and Australia.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a moderate-sized solar flare erupting on April 20, 2022.

Why so much solar activity? Sun may be outpacing predictions.

By Rahul Rao last updated

It's no coincidence that the headlines have been full of solar flares and storms: Solar cycle 25, as astronomers call it, is now well under way.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a moderate-sized solar flare erupting on April 20, 2022.

The sun burps out a flare in a stellar new photo

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

The sun is a beehive of flaring activity in a stunning new photo from a NASA spacecraft.

A cluster of sunspots on the sun April 20, 2022, imaged after the sun hurled a strong X-class flare towards Earth.

Another solar temper tantrum sends a strong X-class flare toward Earth

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

There were reports of a shortwave radio blackout over Australia, the Western Pacific and eastern Asia.

The two massive sunspot groups, known as AR 2993 and AR 2994, became visible a few days ago at the northeast limb of the sun after becoming active while still hidden by the sun's disk.

New swarms of sunspots are so gigantic they could devour Earth whole

By Tom Metcalfe last updated

Two immense swarms of sunspots have popped into view on the surface of the sun, hinting at the increased possibilities of vivid auroras and potentially damaging solar flares over the months to come.

Auroras dazzle above a cabin in Trapper Creek, Alaska on April 11, 2022.

Haunting northern lights glow in green in images taken from Alaska (photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Strong solar activity generated green glowing auroras over Alaska, as one photographer witnessed April 11 from Trapper Creek.

The sun unleashed a major X1.1 class solar flare from an active sunspot cluster on its eastern limb on April 17, 2022 GMT. This view was taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Huge explosion on sun unleashes major solar flare on Easter

By Tariq Malik last updated

The sun unleashed a major solar flare over the Easter holiday weekend, likely setting the stage for more solar storms to come.

An aurora could happen as far south as New York City.

Solar storm could supercharge northern lights as far south as New York

By Elizabeth Howell published

After a dead sunspot hurled a ball of plasma toward Earth earlier this week, medium-sized auroras may stretch even farther south than usual.

A solar flare and coronal mass ejection were observed being launched from “dead” sunspot AR 2987 on April 11, 2022.

'Dead sunspot' launches ball of plasma toward Earth

By Stephanie Pappas last updated

The "corpse" of a sunspot exploded Monday (April 11), triggering a mass ejection of solar material that is headed in Earth's direction.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the sun ejecting filaments of plasma from an active spot (the bright area to the right from the center of the image).

Sun spits filaments out from 'canyon of fire' as aurora forecast remains strong

By Tereza Pultarova last updated

Filaments of plasma escaped from a fiery canyon that opened on the sun's surface on Sunday (April 3) and might bring more auroras to Earth later this week.

Typical amounts of solar particles hitting the earth’s magnetosphere can be beautiful, but too much could be catastrophic.

A large solar storm could knock out the power grid and the internet — an electrical engineer explains how

By David Wallace published

On Sept. 1 and 2, 1859, telegraph systems around the world failed catastrophically. What would the same storm do today?

An aurora shines above west central Saskatchewan, Canada in this image taken March 30, 2022 by photographer Jenny Hagan.

Stunning northern lights from intense solar storms thrill stargazers (photos)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A series of solar storms aimed at Earth this week have supercharged the Earth's auroras, creating dazzling displays for skywatchers.