1-157-431 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Solar flare. This was one of the most spectacular solar flares ever recorded, spanning more than 588,000 km across the solar surface. Solar flares, or prominences, are massive eruptions of ionized hydrogen gas which arch away from the surface of the Sun. Some violent flares called Coronal Mass Ejections interact with the Earth's magnetic field and can disrupt radio communications and produce spectacular aurora displays.