---
title: "Stellar Storms: Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections"
description: "The largest sunspot seen over the course of the last 24 years is currently rumbling about on the surface of our star. In the last week, this has resulted in the release of 6 massive solar flares. Indeed, many of these flares were X-class (the most extreme type of solar flare). As such, we thought that..."
date: "2014-10-26"
modified: "2016-11-30"
authors:
  - name: "Jolene Creighton"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jolene-creighton"
url: "https://futurism.com/stellar-storms-solar-flares-coronal-mass-ejections"
categories:
  - "From Quarks to Quasars"
---

# Stellar Storms: Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/solar-flare.png>)

The largest sunspot seen over the course of the last 24 years is currently rumbling about on the surface of our star. In the last week, this has resulted in the release of 6 massive solar flares. Indeed, many of these flares were X-class (the most extreme type of solar flare). As such, we thought that we'd take a moment to go over solar flares, coronal mass ejections, sunspots, and how they are all related (see the links below for more information).

[![See how solar flares, sun storms and huge eruptions from the sun work in this SPACE.com infographic. ](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/sun-flares-coronal-mass-ejection-infographic-110622f-02.jpg>)](<http://www.space.com/12047-solar-flares-sun-storms-space-weather-infographic.html>)

## Related Reading:

**One Giant Sunspot: 6 Substantial Flares In A Week**

**[CME: The Storm of the Century](<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fromquarkstoquasars.com%2Fcme-the-storm-of-the-century%2F&ei=jllNVNOsMIeEyQSQp4HYCg&usg=AFQjCNHLWmQfN11osCT5v5sgHPy3_DfeHA&bvm=bv.77880786,d.aWw>)**

**NASA Captures A Coronal Mass Ejection In Unprecedented Detail**

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jolene.creighton>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolenecreighton>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/sciencejolene>)