Solar Flares. Credit NASA
For years, scientists have struggled to accurately predict solar flares—powerful bursts of light from the Sun that can send charged particles into space.
Now, using NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, researchers have found flickering loops in the Sun’s corona (outer atmosphere) that may signal when a large flare is imminent.
These early warning signs could help protect astronauts and technology both in space and on Earth from dangerous space weather.
Led by heliophysicist Emily Mason of Predictive Sciences Inc. in San Diego, the team focused on coronal loops—arching structures on the Sun’s surface formed by magnetic activity. These loops often emerge in regions where solar flares occur.
The researchers studied loops near 50 strong solar flares, comparing their brightness in extreme ultraviolet light before a flare with loops in non-flaring areas. They found that loops above flaring regions flickered significantly more, resembling flashing warning signals.
Mason explained:
“We found that some of the extreme ultraviolet light above active regions flickers erratically for a few hours before a solar flare. The results are really important for understanding flares and may improve our ability to predict dangerous space weather.”
source NASA
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