A superflare is a massive burst of charged particles, solar energy and cosmic radiation from the surface of a star.
The solar flares have the potential to wipe out entire satellite networks and disrupt power grids around the globe. Superflares that are of this scale are incredibly rare, and they can occur every few thousand years.
But, on the other hand, it seems that a team of expert astronomers in the US has revealed the shocking announcement that the Sun could unleash one of these flares before the end of the century.
Until now, astronomers used to believe that superflares were only produced by the young and active stars which are spewing energy.
Our Sun can produce superflares
According to the latest reports coming from Express.co.uk, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) in the US are now fearing that older and quieter stars like our Sun can produce these blasts.
This is quite a shocking revelation, and according to one of the experts involved in the discovery, this should be a wakeup call for everyone that’s on this planet.
According to astronomer Yuta Notsu, the likelihood of out planet sitting in the path of such a massive superflare is a high one, unfortunately.
When this happens, the superflare will cripple technology up and also down on Earth, and it will cause global blackouts.
1,000 years ago, it wouldn’t have been a disaster
Dr. Notsu said: “Our study shows that superflares are rare events. But there is some possibility that we could experience such an event in the next 100 years or so.”
He continued and explained that “When our Sun was young, it was very active because it rotated very fast and probably generated more powerful flares.”
The conclusion is that there is no real guarantee when the next superflare will cripple our planet.
Dr. Notsu said: “If a superflare occurred 1,000 years ago, it was probably no big problem. People may have seen a large aurora. Now, it’s a much bigger problem because of our electronics.”
Rada attended the courses in the Faculty of Letters, Romanian-English section, and finished the Faculty of Theatre and Television, Theatrical Journalism section, both within the framework of Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Up ’til now, she reviewed books, movies, and theatre-plays, enjoying subjects from the cultural niche. Her experience in writing also intersects the IT niche, given the fact that she worked as a content editor for firms that produce software for mobile devices. She is collaborating with online advertising agencies, writing articles for several websites and blogs.
How long does a super flare disruption last?
trumps fault right?