On April 2 the Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare that was captured on video.
Solar flares are "powerful bursts of radiation," a NASA news release reported. The radiation from a flare is not able to pass through the Earth's atmosphere, but it can be a hazard to satellites or even astronauts making a trip through space. These flares can also disrupt GPS and communication signals.
The event was classified as a M6.5 flare. This type of flare is 10 times less powerful than the strongest-known flare (X-class flares).
"The number after the M provides more information about its strength. An M2 is twice as intense as an M1, an M3 is three times as intense, etc.," the news release reported.
The radiation missed Earth.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the footage and images of the event. An X-class solar flare was observed and photographed on March 29.
"Powerful magnetic forces above an active region on the Sun twisted and pulled at a blob of plasma until it lost its connections and blew out into space (Mar. 26, 2014). The resultant swirling presented its own kind of graceful, almost ballet-like bends and sweeps," the news release reported.
Before it broke away, the blob was about the size of several Earth's put together. Researchers observed the even for 5.5 hours starting at 7:00 UT.
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