By: Lawrence Hu and Glen Madsen

Solar Flares are large explosions in the suns atmosphere that can release as much as 6×10 25 joules of energy (The joules can be said as 100 billion times the energy of a hydrogen bomb). It is related to stellar flares which are eruptions in the stars. They are powered by the release of magnetic energy stored in the corona. The cause of solar flares is because of magnetic reconnection. That is the rearrangement of magnetic lines of force when two oppositely directed magnetic fields are brought together. This accelerates the electrons, protons, and heavier ions to almost the speed of light thus creating a solar flare.

Sun spots are dark spots that appear on the sun which occur due to intense magnetic activity. Then the magnetic activity inhibits convection which causes sunspots. The temperatures of sunspots range between 3,000 to 4,500 degrees Kelvin. Sunspots also expand and contract as they move across the surface of the Sun and can be as large as 80,000 kilometers (49,710 mi) in diameter, making the larger ones visible from Earth without a telescope. They may also travel at speeds up to 100 mph across the sun's photosphere.

 Wreak havoc on communication systems  Cause orbital decay  Can cause radiation hazards to astronaut  Cause electrical grids to fail  Interfere with satellite operations by adding background static

 Over one million earths can fit in the sun  In the suns core, the temperature is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.  100,000,000,000 tons of dynamite would have to be detonated every second to match the energy produced by the sun.  74% of the sun is hydrogen. 24% is helium. 2% is other.  The sun takes up 99.8% of the solar system  Sunspots can be larger than Earth

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