Solar flare? Yes, but tonight's northern lights have a more spectacular cause.

Though widely described as a 'solar flare,' the star of Tuesday's solar storm was a much rarer – and much larger – coronal mass ejection, which is distorting Earth's magnetic field and will produce the northern lights (and southern lights) tonight.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the sun belching out massive quantities of energy and matter on Tuesday, June 7. Though some confuse this with a solar flare, this coronal mass ejection was much larger – and much, much more massive – than any solar flare. Because of this solar outburst, half the planet will be able to see the northern or southern lights on Wednesday night (weather permitting).

Solar Dynamics Observatory / NASA / AP

Source:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0608/Solar-flare-Yes-but-tonight-s-northern-lights-have-a-more-spectacular-cause

Posted in: 2011,Solar Flare