Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Magnetic field reconnection on the Sun releases huge bursts of radiation. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a space fact?

Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A single solar flare releases millions of hydrogen bombs worth of energy

Magnetic field reconnection on the Sun releases huge bursts of radiation

Solar flares occur when intense magnetic energy built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released. A single major solar flare can release energy equivalent to millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs detonating simultaneously, launching x-rays and ultraviolet radiation into interplanetary space.

Where this comes from

NASA Science

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Science trivia Horsepower Calculator

More facts like this

The Parker Solar Probe is the fastest human-made object ever builtSpeeds exceeding 600,000 kilometres per hour carry the probe near the Sun Total solar eclipses are possible due to a cosmic geometric coincidenceThe Sun is 400 times wider than the Moon but also 400 times further away The Sun outer corona is hundreds of times hotter than its surfaceWhile the solar surface sits at 5,500 degrees C the corona reaches millions The Sun flips its magnetic field poles every eleven yearsSolar maximum brings high sunspot numbers solar flares and energetic auroras The Sun core converts 600 million tonnes of hydrogen every secondThermonuclear fusion transforms hydrogen nuclei into helium and energy The Sun holds nearly all the mass in the solar systemOver 99 percent of all matter in the solar system resides inside the Sun

Tags: sun, solar flare, energy

A single solar flare releases millions of hydrogen bombs worth of energy: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Magnetic field reconnection on the Sun releases huge bursts of radiation. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a space fact?: Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.