Learn about Sun Spots and Solar Flares with NASA's Illuminate Series

The recent viewing of the Aurora Borealis on October 10 and 11, 2024, resulted in spectacular photos from across the globe, including locations that usually would be too far away to view the display. That particular severe geomagnetic storm was due to an outburst from the sun. The NASA Scientific Visualization Studio created "NASA's Illuminate" series, which discusses solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and sun spots. These short videos refer to the northern lights seen in May 2024, and, in particular, "the largest sun spot seen in almost a decade." Additionally, the video "What is Solar Maximum?" goes into more detail about the Sun's active period and solar weather. This video also is part of NASA's Heliophysics Big Year.