On Monday, June 3, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an intense solar flare in stunning detail.

The M-class flare produced a massive plasma plume that ultimately failed to escape the sun’s gravitational pull, creating a “failed eruption.”

Solar astrophysicist Ryan French described the event on social media, highlighting how the plasma fell back along the magnetic field lines, exemplifying “physics in action.”

The flare, classified as M4.8, was not powerful enough to cause geomagnetic storms or impressive auroras on Earth.

Solar flares are categorized by their intensity, with M-class being moderate, Space.com has reported.

This recent flare, despite its intensity, lacked the coronal mass ejection (CME) often associated with auroras, as the captured footage showed the solar material being pulled back to the sun.

Written by B.C. Begley