Spectacular photos and video of a solar flare


Awesome isn’t it?

That’s what our sun looks like when it goes through a fairly regular occurrence: a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). CMEs are often associated with solar flares – some of which end up heading straight for Earth where they can create stunning enhancements of Aurora Borealis and can also play havoc with our orbiting satellites and electrical infrastructure.

That was not the case however on Monday, April 16th, when this particular CME was recorded by NASA’s SDO satellite-based solar observatory.

The flare produced by this CME headed off in another direction, which is likely why we have such spectacular imagery to look at.

NASA classified the flare as an M1 – a medium sized flare.

Check out more images and a video below…

(All images and video credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO)

123 comments

  3. Kenn

    And there is the answer to global warming. Plus changes in the eart’s orbit. Few realize we are closest to the sun in winter, but are tilted away.
    Now imagine if we were tilted toward the sun, we would be even hotter than Australia is in their summer

    Like

      • brian towers

        Surely, Rick W, you’ll admit that the sun provides at least 99% of the heat for earth and global warming or cooling, as the case may be That’s not a theory, that’s a fact!

        Like

      • Tabi

        i didnt know we are suddenly judged by our beliefs. U are more ignorant than you think u are simply for refusing to accept that pple don’t have to believe in ur science fiction stories

        atheists are truly becoming even more than medieval church pple with their arrogance and desire for feeling superior among others

        Like

    • J

      There is no “lord” its called Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. You know back in high school a teacher would tell one person a sentence and then that person’s responsibility is to tell the next person and so on and so forth? Until it goes around the whole room and then it isn’t even close to the first sentence? If it can’t go through twenty people explain how one book (the bible) made it over thousands of years but a simple sentence can’t make it through one classroom? It’s because it is not true. Its fiction. Sorry to burst your bubble there Paul. Im glad other people in the world realize this

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      • T

        We have such an awesome creator!!! God created all things and because of him they existed and are existing from the things above in the heavens to the things below…Thank you God for creating such beautiful things that we are able to enjoy..

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      • Tabi

        well its interesting how now u seem to consider Charles Darwin ur God and worship him as such. his book has truly become ur bible.

        wake up and smell the hot coffee hun. the world is made of diverse pple of different cultures and religions. some of the most intelligent scientists, doctors, and philosophers are followers of religion whether they were christian, muslims, jewish, or any other religion out there.

        dont disrespect others just because they have differing beliefs from you

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      • cnd brn79

        if u don’t believe thats your choice but why tell pick on someone that does does not believing and being negative toward everything make sence to you or to anyone?…

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      • cnd brn79

        the reason is called righting that exercise in school was to show people kids bout rumours not religion….donkey

        Like

  5. Melody

    Wow, it’s awesome, truly awesome. You need to put more videos like this on the website, very interesting and educational.

    Like

    • reasonable

      The video is fascinating but I don’t find it at all educational. I do not understand the science of the sun and certainly don’t know about these kind of eruptions – their cause, etc.

      |As for most of the comments to this video, all I can say is there are more mindless morons than one can imagine.

      Like

  8. Ben

    Now, if only it was slightly bigger and pointed towards Earth, our electrical infrastructure would get fried and would send us back to the stone-age.

    Like

    • Lucy

      I agree with you. Luckily the flare went to another direction. If it did, adherents of the end of the world thing will hit the roof.

      Like

  9. david

    Hey Spencer Isnt it funny that a lot of peoples faith is based on fear of god, not love For God. Think about that for a minute. Now stop taking the Bible literally like fanatics do and just humble yourself in face of something supreme like what your witnessing here.

    Like

  11. Jay

    Thank you for posting this video – its amazing to see.

    please keep the religious connotations to yourself. Keep your beliefs to yourself, this was a video they decided to share about the Sun. It has nothing to do with anything else other than that. You should say thank you and I am sure its not free to bring the home user stunning visuals like that.

    Like

    • Michael

      If they have truth, fine. If they appear crazy to the person viewing, they lack understanding to what they are doing.
      If they don’t have Truth, what are they gonna do about it!

      Like

      • Tabi

        u have no right to judge others or decide if what they say is the truth.

        the truth can be seen differently from different perspectives. some will find those who believe in the theory that humans evolved from apes to be the furthest away from truth, would that give them the right to judge those atheist and attack their beliefs by calling them idiotic names?

        atheists also have no right to judge non-atheists

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    • Michael

      Judged by friends because of attack by asses whom they could not see. What friends would you be if you did not know spirit creatures are invisible, and faithless people think that they deserve worship or reverence! ( Ephesians 6:12 ) Understand a wise man and his riddles!

      Like

  15. Avicenna

    I don’t know if anybody mentioned this, but it reminds of that movie Sunshine. Specifically the scene when Cilian Murray does his space jump in the last ten minutes… your thought du jour: The sun per second burns approximately 600 million tonnes of hydrogen converting it to 596 million tonnes of helium and 4 million tonnes of energy. In other words if the sun were to consume the mass of the Earth it would take approximately 315 000 years.

    Like

    • Michael

      Did you calculate the distance it takes for light to travel also? And could something not be coming that we may have not yet seen, that long ago also?

      Like

  17. veronique

    04/17/12
    saw a movie just like this and the parts were coming to earth causeing storms.Have angone hear ang sounds that they been hearing all over the world? it sounds like ice cracking i say the earth cracking up down below and noone telling us angthing till it happens. the only thing i hear my crites at nite singing loud.time for all of us people start care more about each other then so much hate cause way things going on this earth not here for long. Just like the time the Lord wanted this big temple to be bulided everyone was all 1 speaking then they all got in a fight and the Lord changed all the people into drifent lauglish. thats why theres,black,red,white,ete. now we doing it again fighting with each other and He going to do the same but this time he going gett rid of uas all.think about it.

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    • Michael

      LOL. My website colours had nothing to do with language change, and I am NOT King NEBUCHADREZZAR – Who Might have been refered to as Son Of The Dawn, and the king of ANCIENT BABYLON.
      Revelation Chapter 17 and 18 has NOTHING to do with Today’s King of Babylon! – Which is stil full of confusion!

      As for me and my website, my GOD came to my aide while I was under attack by Babylon, who listens to music for instruction rather then gods word as well as exploits people of faith that they themselves lack, for money. Also the fact that they believe every word mentioned in the bible is talking to them. When really truth would dictate that things written in the bible long ago, were meant as a warning for us today as foretold by prophets, not that it is neccesarily going on today, but things or sign to watch for because of mankinds actions in general. Hence REMINDERS, is not the same as god speaking directly, but rather giving warning to be prepared for something that is coming or something similar. We are ALL responsible for our OWN actions! No human rules over another when it comes to judgements by GOD. Everyone renders an account for themselves to god. Those with morals and those without morals. Therefore, mind your own business!

      Like

      • Michael

        Actually made a mistake Revelation Chapter 17 and 18 has to do with Todays King of Babylon, which is different from the king of ancient babylon. Todays king of Babylon is full of shameless luxury.

        Like

  18. Linda

    I know this sounds funny, but I even searched solar flares yesterday, because I could feel this emmense heat around myself yesterday during the day, and today as well.
    It seems to coincide when there is a solar flare.
    Does this happen to anyone else?

    Like

  19. Atheist

    Lol if god was real why can we create artificial life, why is evolution proven? If god was was real why is the earth 5 billion years old not 1 million like it said in your book book of lies? If god was real why can we create our own species in labs, why can we make exact copies of other animals? If god was real where is your evidence for it, the bible is not based on any facts. Think for yourself and think logical.

    Like

      • gman

        Prove there is…I respect others beliefs, but to me a blind follower of anything is truly blind. I truly think that people should keep their religious beliefs to themselves or within their fellowship. The basic tenets of religion are usually well meaning, but the zealots often show hate more than love. It would be nice if we could all be children of the Universe, and in awe of its magnificence without believing there is something looking out for our interests alone. That to me is the ultimate in human arrogance. Science is always seeking the truth which is allusive. Religion seeks something that is illusive.

        Like

      • cnd brn79

        i think were supposed to look out for each other…but those zealot’s are always up to something…

        Like

      • chris

        can you prove there is? no you can’t and we can’t prove that there isn’t either. we all have different beliefs whether in god, evolution, alien seeding or whatever other theories are out there. take your pick. i for one don’t believe in god because of the great suffering that man places on our fellow man and have to think it’s rediculous when someone says that they were “saved by the grace of god” after surviving a disaster when so many others died. are all those deaths also the grace of god? how can a god that is supposedly so loving allow religious figures (priests, etc.) to molest millions of children for over 150 years? the church knew it was happening, did nothing to stop it and actually protected them from procecution by calling the molested as silly and asked the parents how they could believe a follish child over a ‘man of god’ who would never do something like that. this is a world-wide problem that was hidden from us and the denial still persists even though they finally came out and admitted it in the mid 80’s. enough said!

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      • cnd brn79

        i have to wonder after reading alot of these post if people ever pick up a bible and try to understand what it’s there for…?

        Like

    • nl

      Man, am I glad you’re not the creator of the Universe!! Just because God planned us to evolve doesn’t mean he didn’t evolve us into human beings with brains! Wake up numb scull!!

      Like

    • Tony

      Atheist says:
      April 17, 2012 at 5:06 pm . . . .
      First of all your arguments and logic don’t make sense. But to try and counter some of your BELIEFS (this is not an attack by the way)

      1/ You (we) cannot create artificial life (get your own DNA!)
      2/ Evolution is NOT proven.
      3/ God is eternal meaning always has and always will be present. The earth is not and will not be eternal.
      4/ God is real, look around you. Look at a new born baby, look through a telescope, look through a microscope, look at a bumble bee, look in the mirror!
      5/ The sun is 93 million miles away and you believe that, where’s YOUR evidence, nobody has been there.
      Yes, think logical. Ask God to speak to you personally

      Like

    • T

      I really think that you need to re read the bible and take not of the prophecies that actually had taken place and are now noted to this date as historical hmmm 1914 is just one year in bible prophecy that was written in the bible and then took place… Everything that has been created was created by God..not by evolution that is just a simple excuse to try and understand something that you most obviously cannot understand..

      Like

  20. JDJ

    I very much enjoyed the opportunity to watch something as spectacular as this footage. What I find so puzzling is the level of intelligence (or lack thereof) of some of the comments made which attack other people and their views. It would seem that some folks just want to fight or argue about anything when all we have been presented with was an opportunity for all of us to see something unusual and not easily viewed from here on the surface of our planet. I guess some of the nastiest comments would explain why we have so much war and instability!

    Like

  24. Lloyd

    Very interesting to see how intolerant some of you non-believers are.
    Even the top scientists are believing more and more in a creator. The Bible says ” the fool has said in his heart there is no God”. Don’t judge others for their faith, yours is in science , ours is in God.

    Like

  26. reality

    Amazing fact. If every star in the milky way was a grain of salt they would fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

    Like

    • Chrissy

      seriously??
      that is a horrible thing to say…whether you believe or not, that clip is rad…and by the way….he is real

      Like

  29. Nookie41

    I farted…fear that!! and really? its a video…and they really (realy for some of you) need to install a spell check on this..

    Like

  31. Nancita

    My ancestors the Mayas were not only vast astronomers, but scientists of time and place. They left in their scriptures which is still hidden amongst the Elders and has never been exposed to those who exploit. They speak of us entering into the era of the 5th Sun (this is over 10 000 years of observation of the cosmos, they said the Earth’s polaritis will shift once again and it has already began. They also said that all our sattelites and electricity will be disrupted and perhaps we will be forced to once again live how we originally were meant to live. There is scientific evidence that this change has occured millions of years ago while our civilizaton did not exist.

    You ask most children now a days where a carrot or potatoe comes from and they tell you, ‘the grocery store’.

    Just some food for thought for all ya gringos.

    Like

  32. SLP

    WOW !! more comments about God then the suns solar flares that the whole pic/video was about in the first place…guess the Lord works in mysterious ways…you all were talking about him more then anything else…lol no matter what your views…God Wins !!!

    Like

    • Sun Lover

      SLP: 1 Everyone else: 0

      Good observation!

      But to everyone please stop arguing on this comment page about Creation vs Evolution. I along with some others who have posted on here, just want to agree in the fact that this video and these pictures were enjoyable to see.

      Like

      • cnd brn79

        too late for that lol people just luv to argue…if they were really god fearing they wouldn’t argue about it they would try and better each other….thats my feeling anyway

        Like

  34. abacus

    To all of you with your negative and positive coments,at the end of the day they will not make any diferenc,the world will still turn when you all turned to dust.Our small brain will never comprehend the force that is out there call it god or what ever you whant,somthing or somewone had to create the univers and all that is in it,so why you all of you just enjoy the little time you have on this earth and make a differenc ,soner o later when you pass on you will find out the truht.

    Like

  35. Keith

    Well much better video work than the moonlanding “footage”. No need for a huge sand filled movie stage here. :-)

    Like

  36. cnd brn79

    How fake is that? you could never take photos of the brightest star even when theirs an eclipes you can only see a bit of it and to get photos like the sun is some kind of experiment is just offencive to your intelligence…come on!

    Like

  37. Rob

    Wow! all those comments above started from this comment “Our Lord is awesome!!! what a creation…” What a shame. Why can’t we all just get along and leave comments regarding what this forum is actually about The STAR we call the SUN the world we live in is bad enough not worth creating more hatred.

    Like

  38. Lion

    I am a physicist and I believe in a god who created a universe that is very old and is evolving. I also believe in science that tells me that the moon is a satellite of earth, although I have never been there to touch it. I believe that those are real pictures of solar flares from the sun although I will never touch them. Knowledge can be sensory, emotional, faith based, or scientifically theoretical. I personally do not accept all the evidence for the big bang theory or dark matter, yet I will accept that theory along with the wonderful theory of Jesus resurrection until someone can give use a better one.

    Like

  39. Jordan

    Oh, how fun it is to get a look into a religious followers head by reading their absolutely ludicrous posts. I guess if it works for you ignorance is bliss but I sure as hell won’t live my life with blind belief in nonesense. “duh, you can’t… prove theirs not god…”, nice argument. You also can’t prove that theirs not an eight legged deity working earth from its core, but that still doesn’t make it real.

    Like

    • SLP

      ??? Thank God ignorance is bliss for you…eight ? really ? are you kidding me ??? Geez always thought it was ten, by the way theirs is spelt there’s same word, same language, very different meanings…but then hey ignorance is bliss

      Like

      • Jordan

        Well if you insist on having proper grammar then nice sentence fragments, missing capitals, missing comma’s, missing periods, etc… If your going to be a grammar Nazi than at least be sure your not absolutely obliterating the human language in your own post. But really buddy, who cares when it’s just an informal message. If your best argument is I didn’t put there is or there’s, then don’t even bother writing anything.

        Like

  40. Andrew

    As soon as religion gets into the conversation it breaks up people
    As soon as beliefs get into the conversation it seperates you idiots apart. We all work better, together. Anything that drives us apart is simply not worth our time.

    Like

  44. ross copico (trane)

    Yeah , you wont be saying oh its cool, and awesome when a large one happens pointed at the earth. They send a wave of energy, enough to overload every electical system on earth if it was big enough. a small one already occurred in Northern quebec a few years back. The replacement parts had to be ordered from germany and took days/weeks. Imagine the whole world being affected at once. what would you do without light, electricity, MONEY (no atms) and your smartphone (network fried)?

    Like

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