Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington (1882 - 1944)

Solar flares are sudden variations in the brightness of a surface region of the Sun. Magnetic energy builds up in the solar atmosphere, above active regions, where sunspots are located. This magnetic energy is suddenly released as radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere. Sunspots are darker, cooler regions on the bright, hot photosphere. Whilst the photosphere has a temperature of around 6000°C, sunspots are between 3000°C and 4000°C.

Life on Earth has taken billions of years to evolve. Life includes anything which can do the following things: