Solar flares, the random bursts of brightness found in the sun, have always been a mystery. These highly energetic blasts often come in contact with Earth but imagine if they were even more powerful. Thanks to NASA and their space observations, we on Earth now have a better understanding of how these “ejaculations” occur and if they are anything to worry about.
NASA STUDIES SUPERFLARE POSSIBILITY ON SUN
A new study released this week published in Nature Communication showed a team of researchers studying superflares. These strong explosions have energy levels thousands of times greater than the average solar flare. Is it possible? Well, that is what they hope to find out. Superflares are a pretty new concept. They were first discovered by NASA four years ago and have since left scientists confused. Their goal was to investigate where or not they’re made the same way as a normal solar flare. To do this, researchers look to space in order to find over 5,000 sun-like stars to compare. Results show that these stars also made superflares just like our sun. This suggests that superflares and solar flares may have a similar origin.
SUPERFLARES IN SPACE COULD THREATEN EARTH
NASA states that it might be possible for a superflare from space to hit Earth. Actually, it has already happened. September 1859 saw one of the sun’s dark spot suddenly light up in space, thus causing a solar storm. This interfered with telegraphs and electronics all over the world. While a minor inconvenience then, in today’s society, we are far more reliant on technology. A blast like that could cause widespread issues now. Fortunately, the blasts that happen on our sun are far weaker compared to the superflares popping up in other cosmos, so we got that going for us.
ATMOSPHERE AT RISK
Besides the significant damage a superflare would cause on technological devices, NASA says a superflare could affect our planet;s atmosphere. Radioactive isotopes are found within these superflares and would very much limit the ability to support living creatures if it were to strike. NASA is continuing their research in space so we can gather more knowledge on these occurrences.
