CS229 - Solar Flare Prediction

Solar flares, the release of energy the equivalent of 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT in the form of high energy particles, occur when unstable magnetic field lines reconnect into a series of loops, releasing energy that accelerates high energy particles into space, often disrupting satellite operations and damaging astronaut health. Although we understand the general process, we don’t know enough details to forecast flares with any reasonable degree of reliability. Large frames are always preceded by magnetic field activity, but magnetic field activity isn’t always followed by large flares it’s common for two extremely similar magnetic fields to lead to two different results.