Scientists have revised our understanding of the sun’s most intense eruptions, finding they can reach temperatures up to 180 million degrees—well over six times hotter than previously believed. These updated calculations shed new light on how solar flares behave and point to the sun’s greater potential power than we once imagined.

A sweltering heat wave has enveloped the Pacific Northwest and parts of California and Arizona, placing about 1.2 million people under extreme heat alerts. Officials warn that overnight temperatures remain dangerously high, with no immediate relief in sight.