IRIS Movie of the Day
At least once a week a movie of the Sun taken by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is posted by one of the scientists operating the instrument.
B4.5 Flare in a Decaying Active Region
Credit: IRIS, LMSAL/NASA, Roy Smart
Solar flares are among the most exciting events on the Sun. They are thought to occur when the magnetic field of the solar atmosphere becomes twisted and tangled enough to snap, releasing a huge amount of energy. Solar flares likely occur in all shapes and sizes, and by studying larger flares such as this one, we can gain insight into how smaller flares may influence the solar atmosphere.