[Scythian]

NASA's STEREO (Ahead) spacecraft observed this visually stunning prominence eruption on Sept. 29, 2008 in the 304 wavelength of extreme UV light. It rose up and cascaded to the right over several hours, appearing something like a flag unfurling, as it broke apart and headed into space. The material observed is actually ionized Helium at about 60,000 degrees. Prominences are relatively cool clouds of gas suspended above the Sun and controlled by magnetic forces. (NASA/STEREO) #

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/the_sun.html

[silverleaf]

You call that a burst of energy?
THIS is a burst of energy!

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/descriptions/GRBstar2.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/Videos/news/GRBstar2.mov

Gamma-ray bursts can release more energy in 10 seconds than the Sun will emit in its entire 10 billion-year lifetime!

So far, it appears that all of the bursts we have observed have come from outside the Milky Way Galaxy. Scientists believe that a gamma-ray burst will occur once every few million years here in the Milky Way, and in fact may occur once every several hundred million years within a few thousand light-years of Earth.

WE ARE OVERDUE!

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/naked_eye_release.html