An 11th magnitude quake has been recorded on the Sun , immediately following a moderate solar flare . The quake was the first ever recorded on the Sun , but only because astronomers have only recently figured out when and how to find them using the orbiting SOHO spacecraft . Dark waves from the quake can be seen in the above picture spreading out from an explosive bright flare. The solar ripples are similar in appearance to waves caused by a rock thrown into a pond. The magnitude and evolution of these quakes gives information about the physical nature of solar flares , the surface of the Sun , and even the Sun's interior.
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