Nasa has captured stunning shot of the sun erupting in another massive solar flare.

On Tuesday, Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured footage of the gas bursting out of the sun’s edge.

A “beautiful prominence” erupted from the sun’s east limb or left eye, causing a coronal mass ejection, according to Nasa.

Nasa stated that a medium-sized solar flare occurred at the same time as the prominence, but it was not directed at Earth.

Last month, another solar flare was directed at Earth, but it did not cause the widespread disruption that scientists had predicted.

It did not, as expected, interfere with technology, but it did spread colourful lights or auroras, which were seen in New Zealand on March 9.

According to Nasa, the sun is in a very active period right now, with more flares on the way.

Solar flares, especially in northern areas, can disrupt utility grids, airline flights, satellite networks, and GPS services. A powerful solar storm knocked out the power grid in Quebec in 1989, affecting 6 million people. Solar storms have also been known to cause airlines to reroute flights.

A solar flare consists of electrically charged hydrogen and helium which forms in hot, glowing gas.

Prominences are anchored to the sun’s surface and shoot outwards into the sun’s hot atmosphere, where they can remain for several months before looping hundreds of thousands of kilometres into space.

Erupting prominences occur when a structure on the sun becomes unstable and bursts outwards, but scientists are still trying to discover why and how prominences are formed in the first place.

Source:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/ipad-big-picture/6770293/Nasa-captures-magnificent-solar-flare-footage