Eventually the flux-tubes become distorted to the point of breakdown. When this happens a vast amount of energy is explosively liberated in a solar flare. The flare spewed out radiation right across the electromagnetic spectrum. The Goes 8 satellite detected the bright surge which emitted ten million times more energy than a volcanic explosion. However, solar physicists point out that this size of blast represents less than one-tenth of the total energy emitted by the Sun every second.
Solar flares become more common during a sunspot maximum.
The current sunspot cycle is predicted to peak in mid-2000, and remain high for at least a year. Although the 5 February solar flare was big and bright, it did not come from a particularly impressive sunspot group. Active region 8858, the site of the flare, covers just 200 millionths of the solar disk. However, its magnetic field is complex, exhibiting strong gradients that make it a likely site for flare activity. Space weather forecasters expect the region to continue developing in the coming days.