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| Solar Warning |
 Title text: This replaces the previous solar activity watch, which was issued last month when the sun took off its sunglasses. |
Explanation
Children's drawings may stereotypically personify objects that are not living, including planets and stars. In children's drawings, the Sun is normally drawn smiling. This comic pretends this smile was an actual thing that the Sun has. Apparently, the emotion that the Sun is expressing can signal imminent solar flares and coronal mass ejections, hence this official announcement of a warning. Similar warnings are produced by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center because such solar activity can affect communications, power grids, satellites, etc.
The title text indicates that the prior change that provoked a warning was when the Sun's sunglasses were removed. The Sun wearing sunglasses is a further (possibly paradoxical) element of personification often added to images of the Sun. Randall has previously referred to the Sun's sunglasses in comics such as 1733: Solar Spectrum and a couple of What If? articles.
The removal of eyewear is used in the "Deal With It" visual meme or as part of the various other tropes that reflect a change in attitude. Another interpretation could be that it is referencing Minesweeper, where the Sun puts on sunglasses when the game is won and takes them back off when the game is reset, i.e., there is more danger.
Transcript
- [Blondie stands at a table with her hands together, resting her arms on the table. Behind her are two pictures of the sun: one with a smiling face, labeled "Last week," and one with a frowning face labeled "Today."]
- Blondie: A warning for solar flares and geomagnetic storms has been issued after new images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show that the big smiley face on the sun has turned into a frown.
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