"Solar Storms Unveil Hidden Mysteries of Space"

A massive eruption from the sun's hidden far side, likely triggered by a powerful solar flare, hurled a massive cloud of plasma into space that collided with Mercury, potentially causing "X-ray auroras" on the planet. This eruption, possibly signaling the start of the sun's 11-year solar cycle peak, known as solar maximum, is a concern as the far side of the sun cannot be properly monitored for surprise solar storms. NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars may provide some visibility of the far side, but only when Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the sun.