Many topics in astronomy and astrophysics are esoteric. There's not much of a relationship between something like the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way and the life of a regular person going about their business. But the Sun is different. Its presence in our lives is inescapable. Its behaviour, especially its flaring, has an impact.

Solar flaring makes itself known on Earth when their accompanying coronal mass ejections (CME) strike Earth and create mesmerizing aurorae. But they can be more than beautiful manifestations of light and magnetic fields. They can pack a punch, especially when they're really powerful.

Astrophysicists classify solar flares by their X-ray brightness. From least energetic to most energetic they're placed in categories A, B, C, M, and X. Each letter indicates a ten-fold increase in energy output.

A solar flare is actually a kind of explosion, and they're the most powerful explosions in the Solar System.…