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Sunlike stars hurl superflares about once per 100 years
- Sunlike stars hurl superflares – flares with about 10,000 times the energy of a typical flare – approximately every 100 years, according to a new study published in the journal 'Science'.
- The scientists studied 56,000 sunlike stars and found this rate of about one superflare per star per century and according to press release, the sun too is likely capable of similarly violent eruptions.
- Superflares are more massive than anything we have experienced. They can contain energies of about 1 trillion hydrogen bombs.
- Scientists were very surprised that sunlike stars are prone to such frequent superflares, as previous studies estimated these flares would occur less frequently, on intervals of 1,000 to even 10,000 years.
- Satellite operators could take precautions to keep the harmful effects to a minimum, as today's technology relies heavily on satellites that would be vulnerable in a strong geomagnetic storm.
- ESA’s upcoming space probe, Vigil – planned for 2031 – will watch the sun from the side to provide more advanced warning of incoming sun-stuff.
- The study does not predict when our sun might experience a superflare, but if these sunlike stars are representative of our sun, it is important we monitor its activity.
- The new data serves as a stark reminder that even the most extreme solar events are part of the sun’s natural repertoire.
- The Sun’s strongest flare in modern history was the Carrington event on September 1-2, 1859.
- The study involved looking at 56,450 sunlike stars with the Kepler space telescope from 2009 to 2013, equivalent to about 220,000 years of stellar activity.
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