A unique type of explosion has been spotted in the Sun’s upper atmosphere for the first time, and it could lead to more reliable solar weather forecasts. Data from the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft has enabled astronomers to witness a ‘forced magnetic reconnection’ for the first time. The research may help clarify why the upper layers of the Sun’s atmosphere appear to be much warmer than areas closer to the surface. Moreover, this could be beneficial for knowing other systems such as Earth’s and planetary magnetospheres, other magnetized plasma sources, including trials at lab scales where plasma is highly diffusive and difficult to regulate.