X8-class Solar Flare Detected | NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory FriendsofNASA.org | Full-size images: https://www.friendsofnasa.org/2026/02/x8-class-solar-flare-detected-nasas.html This image is an extreme ultraviolet view of the Sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It shows the bright flash of a X8-class solar flare on the Sun’s upper left side. The rest of the surface is mottled with darker and lighter regions, and faint loops of solar material can be seen extending off the Sun’

NASA’s SDO Captures Stunning 4K View of April 17 Solar Flare On April 17, 2016, an active region on the sun’s right side released a mid-level solar flare, which can be seen in this movie as a bright flash of light. The movie shows imagery from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which observes the sun constantly to help scientists understand what causes eruptions like these. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to phy