00:03The Sun will reach its solar maximum in mid-2025, but as it approaches, our solar system's center is getting
00:10wilder and wilder.
00:11Already this year, astronomers have been treated to some crazy activity, beginning the year with a series of X-
00:16and M-class flares.
00:18But recently, this happened.
00:19It's something solar physicists say they've never witnessed before, as a filament of plasma jettisoned from the solar surface before
00:25separating and swirling into a fiery vortex.
00:28And it seems that was just the beginning.
00:30Days later, another giant solar vortex took shape.
00:33Though solar physicist Scott McIntosh says this one was maybe more typical and a lot less swirly.
00:38But that was seemingly just the overture, as the whole thing eventually lifted off into space.
00:43While it no doubt looks dramatic in its own right, here's a photo of a solar flare with the Earth
00:46as a reference point to see just how gargantuan these events are.
00:50Experts say we shouldn't be worried about these particular events since they're occurring on the Sun's North Pole.
00:55But solar flares have been known to affect Earth.
00:57In fact, an X-class flare that jettisoned from the Sun just last week knocked out radio communications in South
01:02America.
01:03And this is just a taste of what we can expect when the Sun reaches its 11-year solar maximum
01:07soon.
01:08We'll see you soon.
01:09We'll see you soon.
01:11We'll see you soon.
01:11We'll see you soon.
01:11We'll see you soon.
01:11We'll see you soon.
01:12We'll see you soon.
01:12We'll see you soon.
01:12We'll see you soon.
01:13We'll see you soon.
01:13We'll see you soon.
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