NASA released stunning footage on Tuesday of a solar flare that caused short radio blackouts earlier this month.
In the video, a bright flash can be seen spanning out from the sun. Solar flares are powerful surges of radiation that occur when magnetic energy is released. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which continuously watches the sun, spotted the flare on April 17, NASA said in a statement.
While the radiation from solar flares cannot harm humans, the effects of the burst can have an effect on the Earth's power grid and slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions.
The footage was captured in several wavelengths of ultraviolet light, which are not visible to human eyes. So while the solar flare looks like a light show, it’s actually been color coded for easier viewing. According to NOAA’s Space Predication Center, the April 17 solar flare was moderate and only caused short radio blackouts, NASA said in the statement.
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