The Sun has unleashed three solar flares in just under 24 hours, marking the most intense activity yet this year and causing limited interruptions to high-frequency radio communications.
NASA said on Wednesday one of them was classified as an X3.2 flare. X-class flares are the most intense type.
The images show light with a wavelength of 131 angstroms, which is particularly good for showing solar flares and is typically colorized in teal.
The flares have set off bursts of radiation from the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which travel at a speed of approximately 2253km per second.
Experts say a rise in solar activity is common right now because the Sun is in a phase of its 11-year activity cycle that is nearing the solar maximum, expected in 2013.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more strong solar flares may be expected in the coming days.
Solar activity can temporarily disrupt GPS signals and communications satellites, but most people will not notice any effects in their daily lives.
The first X-class flare of this solar cycle occurred in February, 2011. The largest so far of the current cycle was documented as an X6.9 in August 2011.
