The unsafe side of sun: Solar superflares can have these devastating consequences for earth

Our sun could produce catastrophic superflares more often than what we once believed, suggests a new study. These solar superflares are far more powerful than regular solar flares and can release energy millions of times stronger, causing serious problems on Earth including disruption of global communication systems, power grids, and satellites.
Though superflares were thought to be rare events, the new study reveals that they may occur more frequently than we believed. The research published in the journal Science on December 13, studied 56,000 sun-like stars to know more about superflares, which was thought to have happened once every few thousand years. “If the Sun behaves like the stars in this sample, then it could produce superflares at a similar rate,” the researchers said in the study.
Solar superflares are powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation that shoot out from the surface of stars like our Sun. The release of this immense energy in a short period can travel at the speed of light, and impact Earth’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere within a matter of minutes.
Small solar flares themselves cause communication blackouts on Earth. The Carrington Event in 1859 was one of the most powerful solar storms recorded. During that time, the telegraph systems across Europe and North America temporarily went off. A solar superflare can result in a far-reaching impact, and today’s technology would suffer even more.

The findings of the study suggest that our sun might not be as safe as we once thought, and scientists are wondering whether the earth and our modern world are prepared for such a massive event.
If a superflare hits Earth, power grids could collapse, causing blackouts for days or weeks. It would also cause the satellites to fail, disrupting communication, weather forecasting, and GPS.
Even air travel would be affected, as planes rely on GPS and satellite communications. Temporary loss of GPS data will also force airplanes to land immediately and reroute.


The financial damage would be massive. With the stock markets and telecommunication crashing, it could disrupt the whole economic foundation. The biggest question here is, ‘Are we ready to face it?’While scientists don’t know exactly when a superflare might occur, the threat is real. As technology grows more dependent on satellites and power grids, the risks become even greater, and preparing for such an event is crucial to protect our global infrastructure.
They release a powerful burst of energy in a very short span of time, travelling at the speed of the light. These intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation can affect Earth’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere within minutes. Small solar flares are capable to cause communications blackouts.
They are very rare but have but more energy intensity. They have been described as “Miyake” events named after Fusa Miyake, a Japanese physicist, who in the year 2012 called them extreme solar events that leave radioactive carbon isotopes in the growth rings of trees.

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