solar flare

noun

: a sudden temporary outburst of energy from a small area of the sun's surface

called also flare

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web What is a solar flare? —

Matthew Cappucci And Joe Kunches, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Jan. 2023 The smallest solar flares are designated A-class, followed by B, C, M and X, the largest, according to NASA. CMEs can also sometimes disrupt satellite operations and communication on Earth. —

Katie Hunt, CNN, 1 Mar. 2023 The first is a solar flare, like that seen on February 17, which is primarily a release of photons. —

Jon Kelvey, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2023 What's a solar flare? —

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2022 There was a solar flare. —

Ally Mauch, PEOPLE.com, 20 Sep. 2021 The radiation explosion was the most powerful solar flare of 2016 so far. —

Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2016 Auroras occur when atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere clash with a solar flare from the sun. —

Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Feb. 2023 The sunspot exploded on June 13, creating an M3-class solar flare. —

Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 20 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solar flare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.