Summary:
- Scientists have confirmed a 19-year-old theory about solar flares using data from NASA's IRIS satellite.
- The theory suggests that solar flares are caused by magnetic reconnection, a process where magnetic field lines break and then rapidly realign, releasing a large amount of energy.
- The IRIS satellite's observations of the Sun's atmosphere during a solar flare event provided evidence supporting this theory, helping to improve our understanding of these powerful solar events.