<p>The &quot;tongues of flame&quot; I think you're referring to are solar prominences:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/BdsS0.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/BdsS0.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
They can reach heights above the Sun's surface (actually, photosphere) of around 100,000 km (<a href="http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/solflare.html#:%7E:text=According%20to%20Chaisson%20%26%20McMillan%2C%20the,persist%20for%20days%20or%20weeks." rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hyperphysics</a>). The distance to the Sun is around 150,000,000 km. No, they can't reach Earth. However, every now and then the Sun does emit much larger, localised bursts of plasma and charged particles, called a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection#:%7E:text=A%20coronal%20mass%20ejection%20" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>). If a CME is ejected at the time just when Earth is about to pass that point, the CME can hit Earth.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-19T20:26:48.763Z
2021-07-19T20:26:48.763Z
Jim421616
<p>Yes... in some ways.</p>
<p>The &quot;flames&quot; you can are not like flames from a fire on Earth.  They are strongly connected to the magnetic field.  The flames are called &quot;prominences&quot; and are composed of loops of plasma following magnetic field lines.  A prominence is big, it can reach 800,000km from the sun's surface, but since the Earth is 150,000,000km we would never pass through a prominence.</p>
<p>The energy in the loops of the magnetic field can power sudden releases of energy called Flares. These explosions can trigger &quot;Coronal Mass Ejections&quot;.  Unlike prominences, these push matter and magnetic fields into the solar wind, and they are carried along with the wind away from the sun. CMEs can and do reach the Earth.  Smaller ones may cause aurora. Larger ones can disrupt electrical equipment. There is a fear that a very larger CME could do significant damage to many of the world's electric supply systems and communication networks.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-19T20:29:12.913Z
2021-07-19T20:29:12.913Z
James K
<p>The Sun ejects bursts of high-velocity matter, like fiery tongues reaching out. The Sun's magnetic field is able to deliver these bursts at different spots. Sometimes the flames are pulled back in by the field and sometimes they reach out into space without falling back (I'm not sure they fall back but I refer to the circular prominences of Sun stuff).</p>
<p>Can these &quot;flames&quot; reach the Earth?</p>

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2021-07-19T20:19:06.407Z
The language you use is colourful and metaphorical.  This doesn't help your question. It makes you sound a little silly. Take care with the spelling.  I'll make some corrections
James K
<the-sun><earth>
Is it possible for the Sun to lick the Earth with its flames?
Deschele Schilder
# Is it possible for the Sun to lick the Earth with its flames?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-19)

The Sun ejects bursts of high-velocity matter, like fiery tongues reaching out. The Sun's magnetic field is able to deliver these bursts at different spots. Sometimes the flames are pulled back in by the field and sometimes they reach out into space without falling back (I'm not sure they fall back but I refer to the circular prominences of Sun stuff).

Can these "flames" reach the Earth?

**Tags:** the-sun, earth

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The language you use is colourful and metaphorical.  This doesn't help your question. It makes you sound a little silly. Take care with the spelling.  I'll make some corrections  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-07-19. Score: 4

The "tongues of flame" I think you're referring to are solar prominences:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/BdsS0.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/BdsS0.png)
They can reach heights above the Sun's surface (actually, photosphere) of around 100,000 km ([Hyperphysics](http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/solflare.html#:%7E:text=According%20to%20Chaisson%20%26%20McMillan%2C%20the,persist%20for%20days%20or%20weeks.)). The distance to the Sun is around 150,000,000 km. No, they can't reach Earth. However, every now and then the Sun does emit much larger, localised bursts of plasma and charged particles, called a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection#:%7E:text=A%20coronal%20mass%20ejection%20)). If a CME is ejected at the time just when Earth is about to pass that point, the CME can hit Earth.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-19. Score: 2

Yes... in some ways.

The "flames" you can are not like flames from a fire on Earth. They are strongly connected to the magnetic field. The flames are called "prominences" and are composed of loops of plasma following magnetic field lines. A prominence is big, it can reach 800,000km from the sun's surface, but since the Earth is 150,000,000km we would never pass through a prominence.

The energy in the loops of the magnetic field can power sudden releases of energy called Flares. These explosions can trigger "Coronal Mass Ejections". Unlike prominences, these push matter and magnetic fields into the solar wind, and they are carried along with the wind away from the sun. CMEs can and do reach the Earth. Smaller ones may cause aurora. Larger ones can disrupt electrical equipment. There is a fear that a very larger CME could do significant damage to many of the world's electric supply systems and communication networks.


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