Scientists Discover Rapid 'Heartbeats' in Sun Flares

By Space.Fan Editorial DeskSeptember 26, 2026 at 5:01 AM UTC

New research shows the Sun's outer layer has tiny, repeating pulses during powerful energy eruptions.

The Drop

Our Sun is a busy and energetic . Sometimes, it releases massive bursts of light and energy called solar flares. Scientists recently studied a strong flare that happened in February 2025. They used two special ground-based radio telescopes to watch the Sun at the exact same time. These telescopes are like super-powered ears that listen to radio waves coming from space. By looking at the data, the team discovered that the flare was not just one big explosion. Instead, it sent out a group of small, repeating radio bursts. These bursts happened in a steady rhythm, almost like a heartbeat, about every three seconds. By analyzing these pulses, the team could figure out how the material in the Sun's atmosphere was moving and changing during the blast. They found that these pulses were caused by small vibrations in the solar plasma, the super-hot gas that makes up the Sun's outer layers. This suggests that the area where the flare ted was very active and choppy, with density levels bouncing up and down.

Why It Matters

Understanding these tiny pulses is important because it helps scientists map out the conditions inside the Sun's atmosphere, known as the corona. By measuring how much the density changes during a flare, researchers can better predict how solar energy moves. This information is key to understanding the space weather that can sometimes affect satellites and communications here on Earth.

The Catch

While these pulses reveal a lot, they only represent what happened in one specific solar flare. Scientists still need to study many more flares to see if this 'heartbeat' pattern is common or if it only happens under certain conditions. Because the Sun is so complex, it is also difficult to know exactly how these small local movements affect the larger, more powerful energy releases that travel through our solar system.

Put That in Perspective

Earlier studies of the Sun's corona had spotted similar density changes, but those happened much higher up in the atmosphere. This new research shows that these fluctuations are actually much stronger and more intense when they occur closer to the Sun's surface, giving us a clearer look at the engine room of a solar flare.

Source September 26, 2026

Yuzhi Yang, Zongjun Ning, Jingye Yan, Yijie Han, Xiaoyu Tang, Guotianci Xu, Dong Li, Li Deng, Lin Wu, Yujie Liu

Purple Mountain Observatory, University of Science and Technology of China, National Space Science Center·The Astrophysical Journal·10.3847/1538-4357/ae9bb5