Spacecraft captures the "magnetic avalanche" that triggers giant solar explosions

Much like a snow avalanche that starts with a small shift before cascading downhill, new observations show that solar flares begin with subtle magnetic disturbances that rapidly intensify. Scientists using the European Space Agency (ESA) led Solar Orbiter spacecraft discovered that these early changes can quickly grow into violent eruptions, producing a dramatic cascade of glowing plasma blobs that fall through the Sun's atmosphere ...