Solar Flare

Real World Example

Imagine you're untangling a bunch of tangled wires behind your TV and, just when you think you've got it, they suddenly snap into place, causing an unexpected jolt or spark. This is similar to a solar flare, where tangled magnetic field lines on the Sun's surface suddenly reconnect, releasing massive amounts of energy. Just like the tangled wires that store potential energy and suddenly release it as they snap into place, the Sun's magnetic fields in sunspot regions can store energy until they suddenly connect and release it as a powerful eruption of gas.