Solar flare, coronal mass ejection, solar storm - what are they and how do they differ? NASA tells us

tech.hindustantimes.com:

We keep hearing reports that solar activity is increasing and the solar maximum is approaching. And in these reports, oftentimes there are mentions of a solar flare, solar storm, coronal mass ejection (CME) and similar terms which can appear quite confusing. It doesn’t help that the terms themselves are so similar, that to the unversed it may just sound like the same thing. However, in reality, these are completely different terms and they play their own role during the various stages of solar activity. So, if you have ever wanted to understand these terms in a simple but efficient manner, NASA will come to your rescue with its definitions. Read on to check it out. Also read: Historic! Closest-ever Sun photo captured

But before that, there is a reason why these terms are surfacing online more frequently than before. The Sun is nearing the solar maximum phase of its solar cycle. A solar cycle is approximately an 11-year period during which the Sun undergoes two specific phases with regards to the solar activity. The first is solar maximum. As the name suggests, solar maximum is the point when solar activities are at their highest. The other is solar minimum, when the solar activities are at their lowest. Solar activity refers to the spontaneous explosions that take place on the surface of the Sun around its unstable regions called sunspots.

The NASA Heliopedia describes solar flares as “energetic bursts of light and particles triggered by the release of magnetic energy on the Sun''. Solar flares are also the most powerful explosions in the solar system, with the energy released being comparable to billions of Hydrogen bombs. Solar flares are seen in the unstable region of the Sun known as sunspots. Also read: A solar storm