Researchers warn that Earth may soon face a solar tsunami with more power than billions of atomic bombs. This tsunami, caused by a solar superflare, could pose serious risks to satellite systems, power grids and even global communications.
According to Tekna Technology News Media Astronomy Service, new studies show that the occurrence of superflares, which are highly capable of destroying vital systems, is much more common than previously thought. Researchers have concluded that these types of solar flares occur once every 100 years, not every 1,000 or 10,000 years as previously thought.
A solar superflare can produce energy equivalent to 1 octillion joules (a number with 27 zeros). This amount of energy is more than 100 times the power of the famous Carrington incident in 1859, which destroyed parts of the telegraph network and even set fire to sheets of paper. If such an incident were to happen in this day and age, the consequences could be even more dangerous, as human dependence on satellite communication networks has increased significantly. In this situation, satellites can go out of orbit and global power grids can suffer serious disruption.
“The new data clearly show that superflares are a piece of the natural puzzle of the Sun’s activity,” said Dr. Nathalie Krivova of the Max Planck Institute. “The Sun is capable of throwing a lot of radiation at Earth, but superflares can produce even more massive explosions, which are recorded in tree rings and ancient ice sheets.”
To predict these events, instead of looking at the Sun, scientists have looked at thousands of Sun-like stars. By collecting data from 56,450 Sun-like stars observed by NASA’s Kepler telescope, the researchers were able to determine that superflares should occur once every 100 years.
Also, evidence shows that Earth has seen massive solar storms in the past. These storms, especially solar coronal mass eruptions, can send a wave of energetic particles toward Earth that make satellite systems, power lines, and other technologies extremely vulnerable. According to this research, in the near future, the earth may face these superflares, which can have devastating effects on human daily life. Therefore, planning to deal with this threat and preparing to face it is essential.
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