Sun has biggest solar flare of the year
The bright spot near the center of the photo is a solar flare that NASA observed on Sunday.
February 15th, 2011
12:14 PM ET

Sun has biggest solar flare of the year

If you live at a high northern or southern latitude, watch for some spectacular lights in the sky Tuesday night.

The sun unleashed its strongest solar flare of the year Sunday, and the cloud of radiation it spewed will hit Earth's magnetic field Tuesday, NASA said.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a brief but intense flash signaling the ejection of a cloud of ultraviolet radiation.

The source of the flare, sunspot 1158, is growing rapidly, the observatory reported.

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Filed under: Science • Space
soundoff (291 Responses)
  1. pmmarion

    Hey it's "The Year of the Jackpot" by Robert A Heinlein. Yahoo it..lol

    February 15, 2011 at 1:39 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Marco

    Biggest solar flare of the year: It's fricking February for crying out loud.

    February 15, 2011 at 1:41 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Jose

    Comcast Cable now offering specials on the basic and premium packages and is not prone to flare-outs...take that DirecTV.

    February 15, 2011 at 1:44 pm | Report abuse |
    • Wzrd1

      Erm, Comcast uses satellite feeds to provide that coverage to your cable. Go to their office and look at the dishes.

      February 15, 2011 at 1:50 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Spacecast

    NEW ALERT The following is a new update from NASA: Solar flare peaked at .6 on RADN scale , mass eruption on eastern side of Sun, on course to Earth, we suggest population take necesary steps to prevent isolation and 2nd degree burns, temperature wll rise .00024 in next 36 hours. Next newscast at 15:00

    February 15, 2011 at 1:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Wzrd1

      WARNING: Sunblock with an SPF of 0.00001 will be mandatory to prevent windburn from half-baked posters. 😉

      February 15, 2011 at 1:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • Conspiroman

      Wzrd1, you are a very funny and cool poster for a space geek type. Keep up the good work!

      February 15, 2011 at 2:01 pm | Report abuse |
  5. thomas

    DD
    Well. At least it isn't a coronal MASS ejection. Not yet.

    You mean a coronal MASS ejaculation would not be good?

    February 15, 2011 at 1:54 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Sawdust

    THE SKY IS FALLING! THE SKY IS FALLING!

    February 15, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Report abuse |
  7. White Russian

    Nerrrrrrrrrrddds!

    February 15, 2011 at 1:58 pm | Report abuse |
  8. B. Slider

    That solar flare is as big as ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER!!!

    February 15, 2011 at 2:00 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Truthwillsetyoufree

    Clearly the flare messes with peoples heads...

    February 15, 2011 at 2:01 pm | Report abuse |
  10. White Russian

    Haven't you guys seen The Core. The fireball INSIDE the Earth is the one we have to worry about!

    February 15, 2011 at 2:03 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Comcast

    ALERT... ALERT... ALERT...
    This is a new update
    It has been declared an emergency, goverment officials are being transfered to special refuge, risk factor 9 , we suggest going to shelters and prepare for solar burn, comunication will colapse and 60% of crops will be damaged, population casualties 600,000 to 800,000

    February 15, 2011 at 2:06 pm | Report abuse |
    • coffegirl

      Eeeeks...

      February 15, 2011 at 2:25 pm | Report abuse |
  12. White Russian

    The Core explains the birds in Arkansas, the magnetic storms, and why B list actors star in the best disaster movies!

    February 15, 2011 at 2:08 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Brad

    It's coming right for us! Shoot it Ned!

    February 15, 2011 at 2:08 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Marty

    I thought Flare was the buttons that Jennifer Aniston had to wear as a waitress in the movie "Office Space". I think it had to be a minimum of 15 pieces of Flare or Flair.

    February 15, 2011 at 2:08 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Ana

    Rod Serling, a man way ahead of his time, gave us the Twilight Zone episode of the intense sunlight and the woman whose paintings were melting from the heat of the sun, there was no water to drink, and when they found her at the end, she had frozen to death.

    February 15, 2011 at 2:11 pm | Report abuse |
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