Space
Our Sun Could Release Massvie Solar Flares 1000 Times More Powerful Than Normal
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Dec 03, 2015 08:48 AM EST
Scientists have discovered something disturbing about our sun. It turns out that it has the potential to release flares that are 1,000 times greater than previously recorded.
In this case, the researchers are taking about superflares. These flares are thousands of times more powerful than those ever recorded on the sun, and are frequently observed on some stars.
In this case, the researchers observed a star in the Milky Way galaxy. Called KIC9655129, the binary star is known to superflare. What's interesting, though, is that the superflares from this binary star have similarities to our own sun's solar flares. In fact, this supports the idea that our sun could also produce a superflare under the right conditions.
"Our solar system is filled with plasma, or ionized gas, originating from the sun as a result of the solar wind and other more violent solar eruptions, such as solar flares," said Chloe Pugh, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Stars very similar to the sun have been observed to produce enormous flares, called superflares. To give us a better indication of whether the sun could produce a catastrophic superflare, we need to determine whether the same physical processes are responsible for both stellar superflares and solar flares."
The researchers used a time series analysis to detect wave patterns in the light curve of a flare emanating from the binary star. Analysis revealed that there were two different periodicities, with less than a 1 percent probability that the pulsation would be observed by chance. In the end, the researchers concluded that the same physical processes are involved in both solar flares and stellar superflares.
"If the sun were to produce a superflare it would be disastrous for life on Earth; our GPS and radio communication systems could be severely disrupted and there could be large scale power blackouts as a result of strong electrical currents being induced in power grids," said Pugh. "Fortunately the conditions needed for a superflare are extremely unlikely to occur on the sun, based on previous observations of solar activity."
The findings are published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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First Posted: Dec 03, 2015 08:48 AM EST
Scientists have discovered something disturbing about our sun. It turns out that it has the potential to release flares that are 1,000 times greater than previously recorded.
In this case, the researchers are taking about superflares. These flares are thousands of times more powerful than those ever recorded on the sun, and are frequently observed on some stars.
In this case, the researchers observed a star in the Milky Way galaxy. Called KIC9655129, the binary star is known to superflare. What's interesting, though, is that the superflares from this binary star have similarities to our own sun's solar flares. In fact, this supports the idea that our sun could also produce a superflare under the right conditions.
"Our solar system is filled with plasma, or ionized gas, originating from the sun as a result of the solar wind and other more violent solar eruptions, such as solar flares," said Chloe Pugh, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Stars very similar to the sun have been observed to produce enormous flares, called superflares. To give us a better indication of whether the sun could produce a catastrophic superflare, we need to determine whether the same physical processes are responsible for both stellar superflares and solar flares."
The researchers used a time series analysis to detect wave patterns in the light curve of a flare emanating from the binary star. Analysis revealed that there were two different periodicities, with less than a 1 percent probability that the pulsation would be observed by chance. In the end, the researchers concluded that the same physical processes are involved in both solar flares and stellar superflares.
"If the sun were to produce a superflare it would be disastrous for life on Earth; our GPS and radio communication systems could be severely disrupted and there could be large scale power blackouts as a result of strong electrical currents being induced in power grids," said Pugh. "Fortunately the conditions needed for a superflare are extremely unlikely to occur on the sun, based on previous observations of solar activity."
The findings are published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Related Articles
Lonely, Exiled Exoplanet was Kicked Out of Its System by a Parent Star
Earth's Moon Has Unexpected Activity by Interacting with the Solar Wind
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone