You make a loop-de-loop and pull, and your Sun is looking cool! 🌞 Late at night on May 7 and in the wee hours of May 8, the Sun emitted this powerful pair of solar flares. These two energetic flashes with dancing loops were captured by NASAGoddard’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which always has its eye on the Sun. The Sun—like even the most vibrant people—is not a constant ray of sunshine. It constantly cycles through periods of higher and lower activity. High activity can lead to these solar flares, or dramatic explosions of energy out from the Sun. The strongest flares are known as “X-class flares,” like the two shown here. The number of solar flares increases every 11 years or so around what is called a solar maximum. Scientists expect the Sun’s activity to ramp up as we approach solar maximum; there have been 13 X-class solar flares so far this year. When directed at Earth, the most powerful flares could disrupt satellites, GPS signals, and radio communications. Because of ...