Solar Flares

Solar Flares


Sometimes solar prominences or flares can be seen from Earth.These look like large red flares that emerge from the Sun's surface and extend beyond the Moon's limb.This happens during a total solar eclipse,when the moon completely hides the sun.

Looking at solar flares
You can see solar flares without waiting for a solar eclipse.If you look at the sun through a filter that lets in just the red light given of by hydrogen,you will easily see the flares.This is how scientist observe them.

Varying shapes and sizes
Some solar flares can be very large.The largest flares can reach thousand of kilometers in length.

Some solar flares last for days or even weeks while others come and go in a few hours.

The varying shapes of solar flares are caused by the Sun's magnetic field which causes matter to move in snake-like tracks,curling or forming flaming filaments.