The energy released during a flare is typically on the order of 10²⁷ ergs per second. Large flares can emit up to 10³² ergs of energy.

Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled. Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they snap. The energy emitted by a solar flare is more than a million times greater than the energy from a volcanic eruption on Earth!