Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a X-class solar flare erupting on the sun on December 19, 2014.

According to Nasa, solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Humans are safe from the harmful effects of the radiation which is incapable of passing through Earth's atmosphere.

However, if strong enough, the radiation can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

Nasa says an X-class flare is the most intense category of flares.

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