X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Amateur astronomer Philippe Tosi photographed the sun on Sept. 6th, and his timing was perfect. He caught sunspot AR2673 in mid-explosion, producing the most powerful solar flare in more than a decade. His image of the X9-category blast, with Earth inserted for comparison, highlights the advantages of being 93 million miles away from the sun. The explosion could have swallowed our entire planet with room to spare. Via http://spaceweather.com/