Like an Avalanche: Wild Video Captures the Violent Trigger Behind Solar Flares

Image: Screenshots from the video “Magnetic avalanche in action” – ESA Space Science Hub. Image credits: ESA & NASA / Solar Orbiter / EUI Team. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Article by  Passant Rabie. Gizmodo – January 22, 2026. Research article: Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Solar Orbiter captured the most detailed view of a solar flare, observing the build-up of events that lead to the explosion.

On September 30, 2024, the Sun unleashed a powerful explosion, causing magnetic field lines to break and reconnect in a criss-cross pattern. A Sun-observing probe was there to watch it unfold, gathering unprecedented data that’s helping scientists better understand the mechanism behind solar flares. […]

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Video: Magnetic avalanche in action – ESA Space Science Hub