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IT LOOKS LIKE science fiction – almost too vivid to be real – but this footage of a solar flare was shot from a Nasa observatory only last week.
The space agency said the video was captured in wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, usually invisible to the naked eye, and then colour-coded for easy viewing.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation that take place when magnetic energy built up in the sun is suddenly unleashed.
This one peaked at 1.29am Irish time on 18 April and was classed at medium level, only a tenth the size of the most intense flares, according to Nasa.
Looks pretty spectacular anyway.
More: Take a break and watch the spectacular northern lights from space
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