The sun has emitted a strong solar flare that peaked at 10:33 p.m. ET on March 28, 2023. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

This flare is classified as an X1.2 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

NASA works as a research arm of the nation's space weather effort. NASA observes the sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the sun's activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) will take place in July, Boeing and NASA officials said Wednesday.

The CST-100 Starliner mission, which had previously been planned for April, will take place no earlier than July 21, the officials said.

"We've deliberated and decided that the best launch attempt is no earlier than July 21 for CFT," the crew flight test, Steve Stich, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, told reporters.

"We feel pretty confident with that date," added Mark Nappi, the Starliner program manager at Boeing.

Stich said more time was needed to certify the parachute system designed to bring the astronauts and the spacecraft safely back to Earth, and a ground test of the parachutes will be conducted in May.

When the Artemis astronauts and future explorers go to the moon and Mars, they'll need power. Lots of it. Of course, they'll use solar panels to generate the juice they need for habitats, experiments, rovers, and so on.