At https://phys.org/news/2020-01-scientists-evolving-energy-solar-flare.html … (and see https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax6874) … at the back end of 2017 a massive new region of magnetic activity produced a series of potent solar flares causing turbulent space weather conditions on earth. These were the first flares to be captured, moment by moment, by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array radio telescope. This allowed solar scientists to pinpoint exactly when and where the explosion releasing the energy occurred, showing that space plasma energised to the equivalent of one billion degrees in temperature. We are then told these fundamental pressures are the same as those occurring in gamma ray bursts (out in the universe beyond) – as well as in laboratory experiments.
At https://phys.org/news/2020-01-xmm-newton-gas-milky-halo.html … the ESAs XMM Newton X-ray space observatory has discovered that gas lurking within the Milky Way's halo reaches much hotter temperatures than previously allowed – and has a different chemical make up. At the moment they are not sure how it gets so hot.
At https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2020/0/17/behind-howls-of-solar-wind-qui… … the solar wind blows like a hurricane scream (electrons and protons and heavier ions) that reach through the solar system at a million mph. However, as wind roars NASAs Parker probe has also picked up small chirps, squeaks, and rustles. They say this may indicate the origin of the solar wind – starting life as a much less beast. See also https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/parker-solar-probe .. this is the youth of the solar wind, as it is closer to the Sun.
At https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2020/01/16/magnetic-explosions-discovere… … magnetic explosions discovered on Earth's door step – creating dramatic auroral phenomena (back in 2015) …
… the explosion and solar storm delivered 88 PetaJoules of energy to the Near Earth environment (which would have generated a lot of heat in the earth system). The author of the piece says it was a reconnection event – the mainstream position (see also https://spaceweather.com 16th January 2020.
… normally such explosions occur a 100,000 miles from earth but this one occurred at just 30,000 miles away.