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Image Credit: Universe Today
New Research Indicates the Sun may be More Prone to Flares Than we Thought
- A recent study estimates that stars like our Sun produce superflares about once a century, which is more often than previously thought.
- Superflares emit an intense amount of radiation, making them a potential threat to technology that relies on radio communications and navigation systems.
- The study analyzed data from 56,450 Sun-like stars obtained by the Kepler Space Telescope from 2009 to 2013.
- The team identified 2,889 superflares from 2,527 observed stars, producing an average of one superflare per star per century.
- Previous indirect evidence and observations in the past few decades yielded longer intervals between superflares, suggesting one superflare per 1,500 years.
- However, the team acknowledges that it is possible that more violent superflares occurred in the past.
- The results urge caution and emphasize the importance of monitoring the Sun regularly for reliable forecasting and advanced warning.
- Efforts will be bolstered by the ESA's Vigil probe by 2031.
- It is important to note that the ability to observe thousands of stars at a time has taught astronomers more about how often the most powerful flares occur.
- The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from multiple universities and the results were published in the journal Science.
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