Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Images of a Late Summer Flare

You are subscribed to Image of the Day for NASA. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Images of a Late Summer Flare 08/26/2014 12:00 PM EDT On Aug. 24, 2014, the sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 8:16 a.m. EDT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of the flare, which erupted on the left side of the sun. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This flare is classified as an M5 flare. M-class flares are ten times less powerful than the most intense flares, called X-class flares. Image Credit: NASA/SDO This e-mail update was generated automatically based on your subscriptions. Some updates may belong to more than one category, resulting in duplicate notices.   Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED:     SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help This message has been sent by NASA Headquarters · Washington, DC 20546