The solar flare occurred Sunday, Aug. 1 and unleashed a huge plasma eruption known as a coronal mass ejection that sent charged particles streaking toward Earth at more than 2.2 million mph (3.6 million kph).  [Video of the sun eruption.]

But those particles only created stunning aurora displays as they interacted with Earth's magnetic field. They posed no radiation threat to the six astronauts living aboard the space station, or their weekend spacewalk to begin replacing a faulty cooling system pump