Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation that come from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. They are the largest explosive events in our solar system and can last from minutes to hours. Solar flares occur when stored magnetic energy in the Suns atmosphere accelerates charged particles in the surrounding plasma, resulting in the emission of electromagnetic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Here are some key points about solar flares:

• Solar flares are eruptions of electromagnetic radiation originating in the Suns atmosphere.
• They affect all layers of the solar atmosphere (photosphere, chromosphere, and corona) .
• The plasma medium is heated to >107 kelvin, while electrons, protons, and heavier ions are accelerated to near the speed of light.
• Flares emit electromagnetic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths, from radio waves to gamma rays.
• Solar flares are classified according to their brightness in the x-ray wavelengths, with X-class flares being the biggest and most powerful.
• Flares are also sites where particles (electrons, protons, and heavier particles) are accelerated.
• Solar flares can directly affect the ionosphere and radio communications on Earth, and also release energetic particles into space.
• Solar flares are different from coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are huge bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines that are ejected from the Sun over the course of several hours.

Solar flares can have significant impacts on technology sectors vulnerable to solar flare activity, such as radio communications and power grids. However, in general, solar flares are nothing to worry about, and there is no such thing as a "killer flare".