Why do solar flares happen?
On the internet, a good place to start learning about solar flares is the following NASA web page: http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/ (The Solar Flare Theory Page) This has a number of descriptions, questions and answers, and links to other interesting pages including information on how Solar flares may affect YOU! Below are a couple of sections taken from this page. A flare is defined as a sudden, rapid, and intense variation in brightness. A solar flare occurs when magnetic energy that has built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released. Radiation is emitted across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves at the long wavelength end, through optical emission to x-rays and gamma rays at the short wavelength end. The amount of energy released is the equivalent of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs exploding at the same time! The first solar flare recorded in astronomical literature was on September 1, 1859. Two scientists, Richard C. Carrington and
