Latest solar flare activity

A swirling mass of plasma churned above the Sun for almost two days before it finally erupted (Feb. 25-26, 2013). Some of the matter was cooler than surrounding matter so it appears quite a bit darker than the material swirling behind it. The images are a combination of two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light. 

You can read more about solar flares here http://scienceforyou123.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-solar-flare-is-large-explosion-of.html