Earth-Facing Sunspot Blasts Powerful M4.4-Class Solar Flare

Sunspot AR4618 erupted with an M4.4-class solar flare causing a coronal mass ejection (CME) that may give Earth a glancing blow.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the fireworks in multiple wavelengths.

Footage courtesy: NASA / SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, Helio Viewer | edited by Space.com's Steve Spaleta