NASA reveals 'flurry of flares' from the Sun

Video: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured amazing footage of the sun emitting over half a dozen solar flares in about one day

The sun produced a flurry of flares this week according to NASA, unleashing over half a dozen solar flares in one day alone. (ITN)

It seems like the Sun finished August with a bit of bang.

The latest footage from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory showed a region of the Sun unleashing over half a dozen solar flares between August 25 and 26.

The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare that erupted on the left side of the sun followed by several more. While solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation, harmful radiation cannot pass through the Earth's atmosphere and affect people on the ground. Two of the flares were classified as M5, which is ten times less powerful than the most intense of flares, X-class flares.

The other flares were smaller than the M5s. NASA captured the event in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light that is perfect for observing flares.

While these M5 and lesser flares were only moderate, some flares, when intense enough, can disturb the atmosphere's layer where GPS and communication signals travel.

Fortunately, there were few reports of people's satnavs going haywire during the August bank holiday.

Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA.