The sun emitted a solar flare at 8:30 pm EDT on October 23rd, and NASA captured in all its glory at its Solar Dynamics Observatory. Doesn't it look pretty?
The flare was classified as an M9.4 flare, on a scale from M1 to M9.9, making it one of the strongest M class flares of recent time. These kinds of events are the weakest that can cause space weather effects near Earth, and in the past they've caused radio blackouts at the poles. Fortunately, this one passed without event. [NASA]