The sun unleashed an enormous #solarflare on Wednesday. #NASA cameras captured the remarkable eruption. It is being called the largest of the year so far.
The flare was directed towards Earth, Space.com reported, and that meant that it caused a bit of trouble for earthlings. Radiation released by the flare caused a radio blackout, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Solar flares occur when magnetic energy that has built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released.
Flares are rated as a class B, C, M, or X, according to their intensity. The recent flare was rated X-class, which is the most intense category.