Solar flare (IMAGE) Dartmouth College Caption Solar flares and coronal mass ejections on the sun are caused by “magnetic reconnection”—when magnetic field lines of opposite directions merge, rejoin and snap apart, creating explosions that release massive amounts of energy. Credit Image Courtesy of NASA Conceptual Image Laboratory. Usage Restrictions Consult Scientific Visualization Studio for reuse https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20310 Must credit: Image Courtesy of NASA Conceptual Image Laboratory. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.