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The solarise unleashed a coercive combust weekday (Feb.24) that – patch not the strongest solar storm ever seen – let loose a large gesture of attractable ECF in a impressive display.

The solar combust kicked up twisting tendril of ECF that scientists call a solar prominence. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the combust in an eye-catching video, with assignment scientists occupation the activity a "monster prominence."

"Some of the material blew out into expanse and another portions lapse back to the surface," NASA scientists wrote in a evidence released weekday (Feb. 25). [Amazing Sun Photos from Space]

Dazzling solarise flare

Thursday's solar combust was the latest in a series of brawny solarise storms this month. Scientists categorised it as an M3.6 Class solar storm. NASA described the solar storm as a "rather large-sized flare."

Scientists ingest a three-class system to measure the strength and grade of solar flares. The most coercive solarise storms are Class X – a Class X2.2 solar combust erupted on Feb. 14. Class M solar storms are job strength but still powerful, according to a NASA description. The weakest types of solar flares are Class C storms.

Thursday's solar combust erupted from a new blot on the solarise titled sunspot 1163, according to the website Spaceweather.com, which monitors expanse defy and skywatching events. The combust was not aimed at Earth, and so should not bear a anxiety to satellites or another systems.

"Earth was little affected," Spaceweather.com reportable Friday. "Plasma clouds produced by the blast did not come our way."

The astir sun

The solarise is in the midst of an astir form of its 11-year solar defy cycle. The underway wheel is known as Solar Cycle 24.

Strong solar flares aimed at Earth crapper stop satellites and noesis grids, as well as bear a jeopardize to astronauts on spacecraft.  They crapper also spark impressive shows of the Federal lights, or aurora borealis.

The danger of solar flares to satellites and stock has been gaining notice among decision makers lately. Last week, Jane Lubchenco – the honcho of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – told a assembling of scientists that the United States staleness take steps to protect assets from potentially chanceful expanse defy events.

"This is not a concern of if, it's only a concern of when and how big," Lubchenco said of the possibleness for a chanceful solar flare. "We have every reason to wait we're going to be seeing more expanse defy in the reaching years, and it behooves us to be smart and be prepared."

You crapper study SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik.Senior illustrator Clara Moskowitz (@ClaraMoskowitz) contributed to this report.

• Video â€" Sun Whips Out a Massive Flare
• Amazing New Sun Photos from Space
• U.S. Must Take Space Storm Threat Seriously, Experts Warn

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