Sun

Mesmerizing. Dazzling. Gorgeous. Pick your word. NASA's collection of images taken of the sun over the course of three years is getting rave reviews.

Watch as a massive flare shoots from the sun and stretches a half million miles into space. Friday's event dealt Earth's magnetic environment a "glancing blow," NASA says.

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 29, 2011 - Like a lot of people, Madhulika Guhathakurta is trying to predict the weather."We…