A massive solar flare erupts from the lower left limb of the Sun on May 27 in this sequence of images from Solar Dynamics Observatory, a Sun-watching satellite. The eruption is not aimed toward Earth. However, the sunspot complex that spawned the flare is rotating toward Earth, so it could trigger additional explosions in the days ahead. The Sun is particularly active now, and has produced several especially powerful outbursts of energy and charged particles that have caused disruptions on Earth. [NASA/SDO]