In 2019, numerous observatories detected a monstrous flare from the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. A red dwarf, it is notable not only for being close but also for having a roughly Earth-sized planet within the habitable zone. Being a red dwarf, the habitable zone is *real* close to the star, meaning the planet is almost certainly tidally locked and devoid of moons. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the flare jumped up the ultraviolet emissions from the star by a factor of 14,000 for about seven seconds. An Earth-like planet in the path of such a flare would have its atmosphere seriously damaged and any life on the surface massively roasted. Since the flare lasted only a few seconds, all observations came from telescopes that happened to be looking at the star at the time. Indications are that while this flare was probably extraordinary, similar flares happen roughly daily.

Humongous flare from sun’s nearest neighbor breaks records