What Causes a ‘Solar Flare’ and How Does It Affect Us?

Solar flares are like big explosions on the Sun that send energy and particles flying toward Earth. When they hit our atmosphere, they can cause pretty lights in the sky called auroras or even mess up satellites and power lines.

Take the quiz →

Examples

A solar flare can cause a beautiful aurora in the sky at night.
Solar flares are like the Sun’s version of a big sneeze that sends energy toward Earth.
When a solar flare hits, it might make your satellite TV stop working for a while.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Space · solar flare,sun activity,space weather